Chapter 3 Gaba Daba Doo
Jubilee was feeling the aching again. Everett droned on with Angelo as she sat there and inhaled deeply of the cigarette. It didn't take away the buzzing in her mind, or the fog that was still not enough to stop the hurt that welled up again.
Paige and Jono telepathed back and forth amonst the circle of friends. Everett eventually shifted his conversation towards Monet, and Angelo had found some other girl to try and impress with his dry smartass wit and tough guy attitude. "Jubicita, you gonna ask this bum to dance or what?"
"Nah I'm gonna hit the little girls room," she chuckled.
"Want company…"
"What, and split up a convo about Buffy? Nothin' doin," she laughed. Grabbing a test tube shot from Angelo, she gave him a sloppy kiss and stumbled among the dancers. Jono's set had come and gone, and she had dumbly nodded and kept that fool grin on her face.
Now as she drifted past the gyrating couples, she saw the utter invincibility. Weary, Jubilee felt the weight of the darkness welling up in her stomach. A quick glance to the bar beyond where the pool tables were snagged something she'd locked away. Anger filled her, and then evaporated to a misery. Damn. Two years it had been and still.
"Hey, wanna dance?" asked some nameless tall strange in a green bowling shirt.
"What the hell," Jubilee mumbled, and plastered that fake smile. She sipped more of the liquor and welcomed the smashing haze that shattered everything and made the world look pretty again.
Although the music had words, she couldn't hear them. Only whoop and see the smile that blonde guy was flashing her. Running his hands up and down her ass and bumping his body to hers. She glided before him, flirting with disaster as he slid his hands up and down her front, and she twisted out of his grasp. There was a slight stumble to her step, and she swooned against him. What did another drink matter anyway.
"Want?" he asked, and she didn't even think when he handed her a share of whatever he had placed on his tongue. The world grew intense with thousands of pinprick sensations. The velvety touch of each draw of his finger down her arm blew her mind.
His warmth and his scent. Aching hot. Music spilling and curling on the canvas. Her head swaying and sagging like a rag doll one moment and her laugh echoing insanely to be drowned out by the pulse frying beat. Only it existed and she snapped her hips and twisted her body to capture that anchor to reality. The guy had some name, Brad or Chad or Chet or something, and it was easy to coo and bat her eyelashes and get another intoxicating sip. How many test tube shots? She didn't know or care. A glance back to her friends indicated Page's thumbs up, and Everett's eyes fixed on Monet.
"Sloppy seconds," she laughed.
"Those your buds?" Chad or Brad grinned.
"Yesss," she laughed, flopping her head to his chest.
"Hey Jube… you comin' back over? Or are we interrupting anything?" asked Angelo, getting up.
"Nah, we're good," said Jubilee with a foolish grin.
"Ohh, does he have a BROTHER at home?" Paige asked, getting up and walking over.
"Hi there… can I have your number, I forgot mine," Chad or Brad or whoever grinned. "Wait, I already have your friends… right?"
"Yep…"
"Too bad she's already spoken for," said Angelo, nodding towards Jono who was sitting in the corner.
"Hmm, who am I to mess with the girlfriend of a band guy," Jubilee's new date chuckled.
"Jubes, you got yerself one interesting new friend," Monet said. "I like your taste…"
"That's Monet…" Jubilee pointed.
"Ahh," her date laughed. "Pleased…"
"As am I," Monet grinned, her arm threaded through Everett's.
"Let's give 'em a show," he chuckled and leaned down to kiss her. He tasted strangely bitter and his kiss was sloppy and nowhere near anything but a clumsy wet lick. She played along, letting his hands grope and pinch her body so hard they'd leave bruises. Page, Jono and the others dipped out of sight as he dragged her laughing body into the dance floor and ground his hips to hers.
They spun right past the man who seemed out of place, in a flannel shirt. Smoking a stolen Marlborough and drowning his sorry ass in an endless glass of whisky. Out of the corner of her eye Jubilee whooped and waved, then lightly pushed against the man who was groping and pinching her ass. "Heyyyy…" she crooned, and then nudged Chat or Brad or whoever away.
"Not nice to tease, Jules," he joked.
"Jubilee… jubilee," she corrected, swaying against him. "Chinese…"
"Ah so," he joked. She stumbled and he grabbed her, laughing.
"That ain't funny," she slurred, poking his chest. "Policktically… politic… politically incorrect… ya know…"
Wolverine snapped his head around at the sudden scent that moved past. It couldn't possibly be.. could it? A familiar whiff jolted him out of his self-made pity party like cold water. How in HELL could it be? Among all the scents in the damn world, hers? Why now of all the times? Smelling of bubble gun and something sweet that teased and tormented him. No, it had to be the whisky.
He sniffed it, and was blasted with male pheromones thick and hot. Making his skin crawl. No, he must be going crackers to think SHE would be here. When she was supposed to be in Massachusetts, making her new life and painting the town red with Everett, or Angelo or whoever she seemed to have met when he last slipped in, and thought twice about visiting.
She was happy, she didn't need him. He'd left her, and the letters gradually decreased. OF course. She didn't need HIM anymore. Not when he had told her 'no'. Dashed her heart and adolescent hopes to shreds and then packed her off to that place.
"It's Jubilee… you say it with me…" she slurred. His ear twitched and his head snapped around. Would the madness end? Surely that girl who was pushing against that guy pawing her wasn't her. Although the dark hair and tone of voice indicated familiarity.
Still he hated the way that man was groping and pinching her like ripe fruit. "Hey… lemmie go… wiseass…" she said, beating his chest clumsily. Great she was more lit that a Christmas tree, Logan groaned. Then the scent hit him.
"Oh god," he gasped, and the bottom dropped out of his soul for a moment. Dear God, of ALL the clubs on the planet she was HERE?
"C'mon girl… gimme a bit will ya," he laughed.
"Lemmie GO, you dweeb," she slurred and her foot came down hard on his. He suddenly cursed and grabbed her.
"You ain't playin' nice… you shouldn't do that…"
"Says mister badass…" Jubilee poked him. Anger boiled up at the one who observed them, and he waited to see if she would fight back. Where were her friends? How in HELL could they leave her?
"Bitch, you'd better be nice… I bought you drinks…" he said, and she shoved him.
"Piss up a rope, jackass," she laughed, and shoved him back.
His hand raised and smacked her face. Logan saw red, and before he could stop himself he was shoving his way through the crowd, snarling as he leapt on the guy. People had begun to stare as Jubilee started reeling and exchanging blows with the kid. In sick fascination they had stood aside. Now Jubilee saw blood out her nose and stumbled back. Someone pushed her aside, and then Brad or Chat or Chet went down.
"You don't EVER hit a woman, you hear, ASSHOLE!" Logan snarled, slamming him up against the wall.
"Hey, what the fuck's your problem ya ol' fart," mumbled Chad.
"You miserable piece of GARBAGE, I swear to god I'll kill you if you TOUCH her again," Logan growled, and the guy shivered at the angry gleam. Jubilee glanced up, blinking as her assailant was slammed hard against the wall, and fainted dead cold.
Seeing the guy go down, one of his friends threw a punch at Logan. He ducked out of the way, diving towards Jubilee. Seconds later the man's fist cracked into someone else's, and then a fight erupted in the wake of Logan's timely rescue. Angrily Logan shoved his way through the sea of punching and kicking figures, and kept his claws sheathed. No point in getting this to be any worse.
"Ohhhh god…" she groaned, and started to sob as the world reeled around her. Someone moved up and gently cupped her chin.
"You okay kid… say somethin'," said a gruff voice. Jubilee sobbed and spat blood, feeling the touch of hands that must be a nightmare turned dream.
"Deserved it, I did," she groaned.
"Jubes, oh God… what the hell… what in flamin' HELL are you doin' here…" Wolverine ranted, and she tilted her head back, hearing loud sniffs as he smelled alcohol and something else on her breath. "You're drunk… who in God's name let you…"
"Let me go… you can't tell me what to do! You LEFT ME!" she sobbed. Angrily Logan pinched a nerve cluster in her neck, rendering her temporarily unconscious.
"What's going on here?" the security guard yelled. Bouncers were rushing around, struggling to return order to the nightclub as they grabbed several perpetrators.
"It was HIM!" someone pointed towards the side entrance. Logan cursed as he cradled Jubilee on his lap, in the process of picking her up in his arms off the dirty floor.
"Call the damn police… that bastard just attacked her, an' I was just defending her!" Wolverine snarled at him.
"I saw him…" said the waitress as she rushed up. "I just called for the cops now… he was only protecting her…"
"There someplace I can take her to while we play twenty questions, away from the damn sightseers?" Wolverine jerked his head in the direction of the crowd.
"This way," the security guard said. "C'mon… we have an office in the back…"
"Jubilee!" Paige cried as she rushed up, and then ground to a halt when Jono's hand closed on hers.
"No, someone ELSE is here. Best not to disturb 'em…" Jono said softly.
"Who? That asshole…" Angelo got out. "I told ya we shouldn't have let her go with that scum… but NOOO… would you listen?"
"Shut up, Angelo!" Page turned on him. "It was bad enough… when that fight broke out… but we gotta get her…"
"Hold on, I think I see the cops comin'," said Everett, grabbing Paige and tugging her back with Jono's help.
"Terrific," Angelo cursed. "Where's Jubicita?"
"Guess…" Monet sniffed. Out of the corner of her eye she saw something. Quickly she sailed over the heads of the struggling crowd. Jono's powers spread out, blocking her temporarily from those that had seen her, till he was diverted to stop Paige from running into the fray.
Monet climbed along the metal light scaffolding on the ceiling, and glanced down. She saw the burly shape of a flannel shirted man was leaning down and gently cradling Jubilee in his arms. With great care he lifted her up, and her head rolled back against his chest as he carried her out of the club. Jubilee's head dropped on her chest.
A security guard and a waitress were escorting him away, and Monet shook her head. Should she tell her friends, or just let them find out on their own? Either way, there wasn't much they could do in a room full of people. She had to first find an unobtrusive way to get down from the ceiling amongst the flashing Technicolor lights.
"Jubilee!" Paige cried. "Where is she!"
Husk and Chamber swam through the crowd which was being pushed back by bouncers. Club music had snapped off, and the angry shouts and laughs of the dancers were pushing every which way. Angelo snaked around out of sight through the arms and legs, glancing this way and that. He didn't see any trace of her, except the handbag that had dropped. Snaking out a hand he grabbed it and dragged it back to thrust into Paige's hand.
"Here's her purse," he said, passing it to Paige. "But there ain't a sign of her… shit…"
"Oh god… where's Monet…"
"Excuse me, but who are you sir?" the club owner asked, as Logan sat down, and gently lay Jubilee across his lap on the battered couch. The office was a small hole in the wall, like Logan had expected in a dump like this.
"This kid's my niece," Logan said quickly as he dug in his pockets, putting as much distance as he could between himself and the rest of the onlookers.
"Oh?"
"I came lookin' for her, cause she didn't call," Logan said. "An' I was protectin' her from someone who was tryin' to rape her…"
"Is that so?" asked the manager, Augustan St. Croix. "I don't like fights in my club sir… but if you say she was your niece… and you were just worried about her…"
"Yeah. Wouldn't YOU be pissed if someone pawed one of YOUR kids?" Logan asked.
"Um… sir…" a woman's voice interrupted as she pushed her head and shoulders through the battered door. "The police are here. They want to speak to whoever was involved in the fight…"
"Great… look, you can stay back here, but you'd BETTER not run off…"
"Not till the kid comes round," Logan mumbled as he cradled her head and shoulders on his lap. Slowly he stroked her hair aside of her face. Why was she here, and not in Massachusetts? Storm had said she wanted nothing to do with him. Surely it was coincidence she was at the same bar and nightclub as he, or was it?
His ear twitched at the sound of footsteps and the smell of brass and shoe polish. Terrific, the police. Judging from the lady's voice, it was that same waitress who had brought him back to the manager's office, and given him the water which he was sponging Jubilee's face off with. So far the nerve pinch had rendered her unconscious enough to at least get her free of the fray. Just how long she would be out was anyone's guess.
"Here he is," the waitress said. "Excuse me, Mr. Logan, but Det. Florez wants to speak to you…"
"Excuse me, but were you the man who just ended up decking that kid with the bloody nose?" asked a police officer as he pushed his way in.
"If ya mean the guy who was pawing my Jubilee, then yeah… I decked him, but only after I saw him slap her around and throw a punch at me…"
"So you DID engage in aggravated assault?"
"No. Self defense. That bastard put something in her drink… so are you gonna arrest ME for carin' about the kid or HIM for putting his filthy hands on her?" Logan snarled.
"I was rescuin' her," Logan said. "I can explain. Here's her license…"
HE dug something out of his pocket, and shoved it in the officer's face. "Her name's Jubilation Lee. I'm responsible for her… an' I was makin' sure she was safe. Which apparently she wasn't…"
"Were you aware of her whereabouts, Mr. Logan?" asked Det. Florez, scribbling on a carbon sheet on a notepad.
"She goes to school in Massachusetts. I thought that she was there. Not here. So this is a big shock t' me… she was supposed to be with her classmates… I had no IDEA…"
"So you weren't aware she was even here?"
"Nah. But I had my suspicions she wasn't at school cause it was spring break, an' when I called her teacher Miss Frost, she said that Jubilee had gone on a trip. So's I figured it was just some innocent teenage side trip. But I was out with my friends… an' I saw an' heard her. Naturally I was shocked, an' so I wandered over t' see if she was ok… an' she WASN'T… that kid had his hands all over her, an' I smelled somethin' wrong on her breath. She's drunk…"
"I see. So what's your relation to her?
"I'm her legal guardian," Wolverine mumbled. "I can prove it to ya an' all… kid's with me…"
"So her parents…"
"Are dead," said Logan. "Long time. She's pretty much in the care a' Miss Frost, an' Professor Charles Xavier… that school in West Chester. But she was transferred here…"
"I'll need your name and address to verify all this…"
"Of course," Logan said, digging out his license again and dropping it in front of the officer. "But if ya don't' mind… she's not doin' too good, an' she needs to see a doctor, or at least get to bed an' rest…"
"Thank you for your cooperation. We'll be in touch with you in the next few days, Mr. Logan… you may go…"
The door flew open and Mr. Saint Croix shouted, "That's the guy who STARTED the fight… blame HIM not me?"
"Excuse me, but who are you?" asked Det. Florez, standing in his way. "Jose!"
"Sorry, Luis, but he insisted on showing you… oh you got the testimony already…"
"Yeah, he's legit. Seems the kid was underage…" said the officer, glaring at the security guard, and the waitress who poked her head around.
"But I could swear…" Mr. St. Croix gasped.
"Just step inside here, sir, and ma'am," Det. Florez said firmly. They reluctantly pushed past and sat down where the police officer indicated. Another plainclothes, a Sgt. followed them and exchanged glances with Logan and Florez.
"Can I go now?" Logan asked. Jubilee groaned as her head rolled back and forth on his chest.
"Yeah… but we're gonna have to call and speak to you later," said Det. Florez. "Seems you weren't the only one worried about a few children who were doing what they shouldn't be…"
"Hnh," Logan grunted, carefully carrying Jubilee out past the glaring looks of the manager and the bartender.
"Where's Jubilee!" Everett cried as he saw the security rushing around.
"This way… that guy was pawing her, crap…" Paige got out.
"I told you, but would you listen, noo…" Jono said sardonically.
"Crap, crap CRAP!" Paige cursed, fighting her way to the front. Angelo reached there first, seeing the green shirted blonde guy who was holding his nose and spitting blood.
"Jubilee!" Paige cried.
"You friends of her?" asked the police officer who had just walked in.
"Yes, what happened? We saw her dancing and then everyone started getting in our way and then…"
"We got her license and number from her uncle who came an' took her out," said the manager.
"Yes… we know… a Mr. James Logan came to get her," said the officer, looking at his book.
"Her WHO?" asked Paige, voice climbing an octave.
"Don't' tell me you don't know…" the manager blinked.
"She came with us, we had no idea…" Everett trailed off.
"He knew her all right. Said he'd take care of it," the bartender, Sheryl shrugged.
"I'm getting two stories here, what is going on?" the officer asked.
"Let me handle this," Monet said smoothly. "Excuse me, but you spoke with my aunt over the phone…"
"Miss. St. Croix…" said the manager. "She was with you?"
"Yes, I can explain everything… we were a group that came together, and we all are just worried about our friend Jubilation Lee. We're here together visiting town, and we just want to know what happened to her…"
"I have her purse," said Paige. "Here's her license…"
"This is really strange," the manager mumbled.
"The man who carried her out said he knows her," said the officer, scratching his head. "He had her driver's license and everything with him… which leads me to my next question…may I ask WHY your underage friend was intoxicated?"
"Oh crap," Everett mumbled as he saw Paige flush red.
"There's no WAY this guy could have had her license because WE have her purse!" Paige protested. "Right here…"
"Well then WHY does she have a driver's license in the state of New York as WELL as Massachusetts, with TWO different ages listed?" asked the officer. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you kids to come with me…"
"I can explain…" Monet started.
"Oh I'm sure you can, young lady," the officer said.
"Excuse me, I can vouch for her," the manager said. "She's my niece…"
"If she is, you're in just as much trouble for serving alcohol to minors…" said the officer darkly.
"Monet, I'm afraid you and I will have to have a chat. As for the rest of your little friends, I want to know their parent's phone numbers and names…"
"We have someone to call," said Everett quickly. "Let us call Miss Frost… we're all students at a school…"
"Real SMART," Paige groaned as they dug themselves in deeper.
"Which leads me to ask, are you all legal?"
"Um… well…"
"Um…." Paige and Monet exchanged glances.
"I don't know WHO in hell is running this place, but you're in a LOT of trouble," said the police officer. "I think you'll ALL have to take a ride downtown with me… before this gets any more tangled…"
