A/N: The title Ruby Slippers comes from the movie The Wizard of Oz, which refers to Dorothy. In less enlightened times homosexuals identified themselves as "friends of Dorothy" as a sort of secret code of recognizing each other. Hence the title.
Warnings: Pre-slash, you don't like it, don't deal with it. Flames will not be tolerated.
Ruby Slippers: Interlude in Meringue
8 days later
The mansion
"Hank?"
A mild grunt answered her.
"Hank I'm taking a break. I'm starting to daydream about DNA." Jubilee regarded the blue mutant staring lovingly into his microscope. "I've discovered the cure for cancer. Joined the Friends of Humanity? Mutant twinkies are taking over the world and breeding uncontrollably?"
At the last sentence Hank managed to pull himself away from the slide. "Huh?"
Jubilee grinned and pointed to the door. "I'm taking a break. Leaving the room to get sustenance. No twinkies will be harmed in the journey." Before Hank could open his mouth Jubilee nodded. "And yes, I will bring back some for you."
Outside of the lab Jubilee ran into Cecelia who was on her way in. "Don't bother, he thinks he's discovered a new DNA sequence. Nothing is registering past his I'm-in-oblivious-sciencey-mode."
Cecelia looked at Hank fondly. "I'm not surprised."
Jubilee patted Cecelia's burgeoning stomach. "And you're pregnant how?"
"You'd be surprised as to what a few well timed words can have on the man."
"Like twinkies and Bunsen burner?"
The two women shared a smile as Hank looked up in interest. "What did you say?"
Jubilee left the two of them in the lab as she quietly walked upstairs to the kitchen. As much as she teased Hank, she wasn't much better once it came to researching. It had been mid afternoon when she had descended into the lab and it was early morning by the time she had gotten hungry enough to do something about it.
The kitchen was quiet, most of the house's inhabitant still in bed. Humming softly to herself she made some coffee, scooping some of Remy's precious Caribbean Java Coffee into the machine. As she waited for the coffee to brew, she dug around in the fridge looking for something edible. After several minutes of rummaging, Jubilee finally emerged with several leftover BBQ ribs, potato salad, some jello salad and chicken fried rice that she was almost sure was still good. Piling all of her booty onto a plate, she wandered outside to watch the first dregs of sunlight dance over the treetops.
It was about an hour later that Paige strolled into the kitchen wearing her jogging outfit, still humming to the tune of the latest pop sensation in her player. "Hey Jubes!"
"Hayseed, it's five am and you're perky. You have a sickness and it's time to admit it."
Paige merely grinned and poured herself a cup of coffee. "Mm, this is good. What kind did you use?"
Jubilee set down her plate and waved to the cupboard. "Remy's secret stash that he thinks no one knows about." She poured herself another cup and sat down at the table with Paige.
Swept up on a caffeine high, Paige decided to jump right in. Being best friends with Jubilee had delegated the blond girl to this conversation, a conversation which had been instigated by almost the entire household with the exception of Scott and Wolverine. Whether Paige agreed with them or not, she did feel it was her duty to warn Jubilee of the others' worries. Jubilee had been at the mansion a total of four days and it had taken Paige the entire time to work up the nerve. Praying her sugar would hold out, she burst out. "The others are worried about you and Emma."
Jubilee merely raised an eyebrow, refraining from making a comment. Her stomach churned as she suddenly wasn't hungry anymore.
"They're concerned with your relationship with Emma…and where it might lead."
The room was silent for a few moments before Jubilee had enough control over her emotions to speak. "What exactly bothers them?"
"She's not had the most ideal of pasts, as the former White Queen of the Hellfire Club and the whole thing with her sister…Jubes, she isn't the most…we all know what she's like and they just want the best for you."
"First off, Emma and I are friends. Friends. You remember that word don't you? It means that you have someone you accepts you unconditionally. Secondly, no-one in this band of brothers we like to call a team is far from spotless. We've never punished Wolvie for his past, or Remy for his, hell, I'm not exactly a blank slate either. Third, Emma is straight and for whatever reasons they are wondering, we don't have a romantic relationship."
"And if she wants one?"
"Paige…please." Jubilee pleaded bitterly. "Believe me that's so far from reality that we aren't going to talk about it."
Paige sighed, "I know what it was like when we were younger, you weren't the only one wanting someone who you couldn't have. I just want you to keep it in perspective. That's all."
"Oh, I'm severely grounded." Jubilee set down her mug with a determined thud. "You can tell chicken little and friends that I will continue to be Emma's friend. If they have a problem with it then I'm going to do something different and not give a damn about what they think."
"Jubes..."
Jubilee stood, her face expressionless as she barely afforded the girl a glance. "Don't Paige. I don't need to hear any more pointless platitudes on how you are my friend and how you want to protect me. Just don't." Walking out of the room, she quietly shut the door, a gesture more pointed than if she had slammed it.
A scraping sound caused Paige to look up at the doorway to see Scott leaning against the frame. "I suppose you could have done better?"
"I wouldn't have done it, period. I may not like Emma, and I may not agree with her methods, hell I don't even think she should have been put in charge of the Academy." Scott sniffed the coffee pot thoughtfully, before pouring himself a cup. "Is this Remy's Caribbean Java? I thought he said he was all out yesterday..."
"Scott!" Paige snapped, a little more sharply then she intended.
"But, I still think that she has her best interests at heart." Scott continued as if he hadn't heard her. "Besides Jubilee might have a good influence on her."
Paige got up and looked him in the eye. "And if she isn't?"
He shrugged. "Then Jubilee will have the entire team backing her up."
-in-
The silk swished softly as the wearer sashayed out of the dressing room. It was a picture of fluffy taffeta, silk and intricately weaved lace...
"You still look like a meringue."
Anne flounced her skirt causing massive amounts of cloth to sweep past Jubilee who was patiently sitting in the dressing room. "I do not!"
"Yeah you do."
The woman regarded her reflection in the mirror. "Maybe," She conceded. "But, I do look like a bride."
Jubilee grinned. "That's for sure. Has Alice picked out her outfit yet?"
She twirled thoughtfully in the mirror. "Alice had her outfit picked out less than an hour after she told her mother. I decided any more information beyond that point was not healthy on my part."
"Smart. Paige has had her entire wedding planned out from proposal to reception."
Piling her braids on her head, Anne tried on a few head pieces, the small pieces of lace making it almost impossible to pin them in with her puffy sleeves. Finally Jubilee gave in and helped her attach the frilly piece.
Anne admired the affect before motioning Jubilee to attach a different style. "And does Jono know or is he oblivious?"
"Happily oblivious to the fact that they will be having a spring wedding in a rose garden on his London estate. Or to the fact that they aren't engaged yet." Jubilee added, smirking.
"What about you? Has anything happy occurred in your life regarding a certain someone?" Anne peered at her under long, black lashes.
"Didn't I tell you?" Jubilee smiled sarcastically at Anne's reflection across from them. "Emma and I declared our love for each other, got married despite the current government laws and are now happily pregnant with not twins, but triplets."
"What's your problem?"
"She's straight that's my problem, and pursuing a relationship like this is going to get me burned."
Anne burst out laughing, tears of mirth trickling down her cheek as Jubilee glared at her. The woman tossed aside the look with a wave, still giggling slightly. "Never mind. I must be nervous from all of this wedding talk." She took a deep breath and shook her hair out. "So, are you going to bring Emma to the wedding?"
Jubilee managed a smile. "Somehow I don't think I can picture her surrounded by drag queens, lesbians and gay guys."
"I wish you would. I know that she wants to share your life with you, why not expose her to this. That way everytime she thinks about this part of your life, she won't automatically see you and me dancing at the club. It might spark more positive images."
"Right."
"Positive as in happier images of you." Anne swirled around one more time. "Maybe if I get this in a light pink?"
The two women's eyes met, one deep brown and the other bright blue. Jubilee pulled an outfit off a rack. "Have you ever thought about a tux?"
Anne regarded the black suit. "How about I wear my poofy dress as you call it and I won't make you wear a lime green creation of my choosing. Deal?"
Jubilee grinned. "Deal." She returned to the magazines in her lap, touching the beautiful pictures, letting her mind wander as she contemplated the dresses. What it would feel like to have the touch of silk and lace with the promise of a soulmate. What it would be like to dance in the arms of a lover that you have claimed as your for eternity. Jubilee shook her head violently, forcing the thought out. It was not something she could ask of Emma, no matter how much she wanted it.
"How can you know if you never ask?" Anne whispered in her ear.
"Anne, are you sure you're not a mutant?" Jubilee asked shakily, trying to calm her racing heart.
"It's written in your very eyes. Do you remember when you first realized that you had feelings for me?"
A smile lightened her face. "Yes, you were so beautiful."
Anne's head bent down low as she kneel beside Jubilee, her lips just above her ear. "And you went after me, convincing me that you were serious about a relationship. The Jubilee I know isn't afraid of the truth or its consequences. You may or may not have a chance with Emma, but how the hell are you ever going to find out unless you let her know. Pursue her, romance her, let her know that you love her. It may not work out, but you don't want to spend the rest of your life eating dinner at my house every Sunday night."
Jubilee looked up, mock worry on her face. "So you mean tomorrow is out?"
-in-
More is coming soon. Reviews are good. Very very good.
A/N: Here's the deal...I'm agonizing over the next part and have two different versions of it. There's the angst and then there's romance. It's up to you what goes up!