A/N: I had such good angsty fic too...but you asked and I am forking over the romantic stuff.
Warnings: This is it folks, you don't like slash...go take your anal retentive rear somewhere else.
Ruby Slippers: That Pot of Gold
"I love you for sentimental reasons..."
The radio blurted on, and Emma woke up with a smile as she listened to the sweet croonings of the old love song.
The smile continued as she got ready during the day, listening the the morning stock report, and ate her breakfast. Humming softly to herself, she sipped her coffee as she thought about upcoming week. Four months ago, her upcoming week would have been filled with meetings and long empty spaces where she would have sat alone in her office or apartment. Now, it was interspersed with outings with Jubilee that ranged anywhere from line dancing in Texas to a clam bake on the beach on the East Coast.
Emma smiled, her wardrobe had gone from pristine suits to jeans and T-shirts under Jubilee's care. Not that she minded, it was comforting to know that there was someone she could be herself with. It was nice to realize that she could drink a beer without the raised eyebrows Emma was currently used to receiving.
Jubilee hadn't so much as changed from her teenage wildchild image as matured, and Emma was glad that she had been given the chance to see it for herself. What she hadn't counted on was how much she was coming to depend on Jubilee, for companionship, friendship, laughter. Anytime anything happened in Emma's day, her first instinct was to pick up the phone and call her. In the past month alone Emma's phone bill had sky rocketed, but it was worth it to spend those odd moments talking to Jubilee, listening to her excitement over a new breakthrough.
Without really thinking, Emma picked up her phone and hit the speed dial. After several rings, Jubilee picked up her cellphone, whispering. "Hey Emma, what's up?"
Emma frowned. "What's wrong?"
"Scott's on the warpath. Bobby put a trick bar of soap in Scott's shower, and now he's walking around looking like a smurf. For some obscure reason he thinks that I had something to do with it."
"And are you innocent?"
"Well, Bobby didn't know where to get the soap and I did...All I provided was the ride there, and the money to buy it. Putting it in Scott's shower was totally his idea...after I suggested it. Maybe it is my fault."
"You better hope Scott never has enough imagination to get back at you."
There was a snort of laughter on the other side of the line. Emma heard several thuds and then Scott's irate voice yelling "I've got red dye and I'm not afraid to use it!"
Jubilee burst into another fit of laughter. "He's coming down the hall, I better go. Can we get together later sometime?"
"Sounds good. Call me later and we'll make plans." Emma heard Scott roar for Bobby in the distance. "Uh-oh."
"You said it." Emma heard some more thuds and scuffles, this time Scott calling out for Jubilee's blood. "Love ya, gotta go, bye!" The phone clattered to the floor as she heard Jubilee's scream of laughter and Scott running after her.
Emma shut off the phone, an absurd grin on her face. Whether Jubilee meant it or not in the haste of the moment, Emma couldn't stop herself from humming all the way to work.
Two hundred miles away, Jubilee stood in the middle of the hallway with red dye dripping down her face in the stark realization of two words blurted out in an unguarded moment.
-in-
Three days later
"This has to be the stupidest thing I've ever done."
The man beside Jubilee looked at her curiously, taking in the picnic
basket and shaking
hands. "Planning something special?"
"I'm going to tell a woman that I love her and want a relationship with her. Or at least attempt to tell her. I'm going to hint at the very least. Definitely. If she doesn't know already." Jubilee shot him a pleading look. "That doesn't sound stupid does it?"
The man smiled gently. "Ma'am, any person that turns you down is an idiot and you can tell her I said so."
"Thanks."
The elevator dinged and the doors opened. "Thank you for reminding an old man that romance still exists in the world. I hope it works out for you."
"Me too." The doors slid shut and the elevator began another interminable trip to the top floor where her office was located. She had spent several hours that morning debating whether or not it was a good idea. Five phone calls later to Angelo and she had changed her mind and decided to go ahead and see Emma. Dressing was another agonizing decision involving Jean and Monet on a three-way line and several dozen outfits.
In the end Jubilee had worn low hip-huggers, and a tight fitting shirt that showed off her figure and according to Monet, didn't look slutty. The elevator announced it's arrival on the top floor, and Jubilee walked out of the rather confining space to the vast expanse of the floor. Somehow, it was exactly what Jubilee was expecting Emma's domain to look like, and it disappointed her.
A soft looking woman manned a desk in front of Emma's office and got up to greet the younger woman. "You must be Ms. Lee. Can I show you in?"
"Does Emma know I'm here?" Jubilee asked, trying to figure out if she had ever met the woman before.
"No, I recognized you because it's my job to know who people are. I'm Nancy, Ms. Frost's personal assistant."
"Nice to meet you, is it alright if I go in? I have a little surprise for her." She gestured to the basket she was holding.
Nancy led her to the large, double doors. "I think she's in a call right now but go ahead and go in. I know she'll be thrilled to see you."
"I hope so." Jubilee muttered as she walked in.
Nancy watched the door close with a smile and stopped a man at the desk who was walking towards to her. "I'm sorry, Ms. Frost will be busy for the rest of the day and has canceled all of her appointments. I'll be happy to reschedule you."
Jubilee entered the office quietly, taking in the darkness, the persona that was Emma Frost, CEO of Frost Enterprises.
"I understand Mr. Gaer but you have to understand my point. I'm in this business to make money and you're company at its current status is far from achieving my goal. I know for a fact that you have run up huge debts, and the creditors are on your back. Selling me your company will allow you the freedom to run it without the worry of money. Out of all of your options Mr. Gaer, I would think this one of the better ones...."
Jubilee waited for Emma to finish the conversation before planting the basket on her desk. "Hungry?"
Emma looked up in surprise. "When did you get here?"
"About two minutes ago and Nancy let me in." Jubilee's eyes roamed over the vast desk, taking in the pictures and misshapen ashtray that she recognized from a Christmas long ago. Jumping on to the desk, Jubilee pulled out various items from her stash. "I brought bread, cheese, fruit and various other healthy goodies for your lunch. And not so healthy because I'm eating with you." she added with a smile.
"Thank you." Emma sounded genuinely surprised as she barely glanced at the food. "Where should we go to eat this? I don't think my office suits a picnic mood in the least."
"I happen to know a very nice spot less than a mile away. Come on." Jubilee quickly packed the food away and led Emma to a high-walled compound. Inside the walls were small buildings surrounded by beautiful gardens and fountains. Leading the way past various rock gardens, Jubilee and Emma eventually arrived at a secluded nook that was shaded by a willow tree.
As she set up the blanket, Emma kicked off her high heels and wiggled her toes in the grass. "Ah, to live, to touch, there is such a happy madness in this life."
Pulling off her boots and sprawling on the blanket, Jubilee got out the food and plates. "Who said that?"
"I did." Emma admitted and poured the both of them some of the sparkling cider that was still coated with a thin layer of ice.
"I never knew you were a poet. It doesn't surprise me though."
"No? Not even if I told you I still write horrible love poems?"
Laughing Jubilee sliced the bread. "Please everyone writes horrible love poems that their lovers must suffer through. It's one of the rules of dating, didn't you know?"
"Rules? Like never eat spaghetti on a first date?"
"More like the obligatory bore your friends for hours on end about your prospective girlfriend or boyfriend."
"Of course gushing is mandatory."
"Exactly. Or the hang-up just after dialing procedure in the pre-date and post-date phase to ensure just enough insecurity has occurred."
"Not a good idea with *69 now."
"The prank caller's bane." Jubilee commented mournfully. "My life as a kid got much more boring after they instigated that little kill joy."
Emma's eyes sparkled. "I imagine Scott's got more peaceful."
"Not really. Bobby and I had to pull twice as many pranks to make up for it. Did you know he had a nervous twitch for over three months right after I moved in? He still gets it everytime Bobby visits and I'm home. Poor man." Jubilee crooned unsympathetically.
"Are there any more rules that I should know about?" Emma asked playfully, dipping the strawberries into the whipped cream cheese dip..
The air grew really quiet for a moment, and she could see Jubilee pause for a moment, as if making an inner struggle. "Just one, they should be friends before anything else. That is the most important thing."
After a second or two of silence Jubilee popped a strawberry in her mouth. "Anyway Hank and I are finding out some fantastic things. He actually got a sample from Lucy, a prehistoric woman from the era when apes were just coming down from the trees. She's from the genus known as the Australopithecus, some have argued her as the missing link. What I'm trying to find, is proof of the metagene in her...."
"Jubilee..." Emma broke in softly.
Jubilee stopped, biting her lip nervously. "I was wondering if you would want to come with me to Anne's wedding. I'll totally understand if you don't feel comfortable being around that many gay people. I mean...I'm going to be giving Anne away since her father and mother chose not to be there."
"They didn't approve?"
"They didn't approve when she told them four years ago and threw her out of the house. She managed to get into college and work her way through. That's where I met her, she was blading in the courtyard and plowed into me. Anne broke her arm and I got a black eye. Anyway, she's like a sister to me and she asked if I would give her away. I said yes."
"Does that happen often? The rejection?"
"More often than not. Alice was one of the lucky ones, her mother with her every step of the way."
Emma could almost hear the little, unsaid words hanging in the air but didn't respond to them. Instead she answered the one question she could. "I'm glad and I would love to go."
The two talked of little and unimportant things, enjoying the little sanctuary from the world. After they had cleared up the mess, they wandered around looking at all of the beautiful architecture.
Jubilee pointed to a gargoyle overlooking one of the gardens. "This was a pre-WW1 house for the bishop and priests of the Catholic church that used to be across the street. The gargoyles are said to protect against evil, coming to life when an evil threatens. About twenty years ago it was bought out and Buddhist monks came here and converted it into this beautiful place."
"Why here?"
"They're missionaries. I stayed here for almost a year when I first got my powers. The monks have quiet, ordered thoughts that didn't force and shove their way inside. I was so afraid that I was going insane when I arrived here."
"I wish I could have been there for you."
"I know." Jubilee replied simply. In an effort to change the subject, she laid down on the rich grass and looked up at the clouds. "Ever watch the clouds when you were a kid?"
Emma gingerly joined her, their two heads touching as they gazed up at the brilliant blue sky. "I could never see the bunny."
"What do you see now?"
"I see a dolphin with waves crashing down." Emma glanced at Jubilee, suddenly overwhelmed with the pure sweetness of emotion she felt every time she was with her. "I see an exquisite blue harboring stars that only I can see ." Resting her head on her hand, she looked down at Jubilee who had her eyes closed. The soft black lashes were fluttering slightly, like soft butterfly wings. "Are we friends yet?" she whispered.
Jubilee's eyes opened wide. "I think so."
Emma smiled. "Good." And leaned down to kiss her.
-in-
A/N: More is coming soon...I hope you enjoyed everything so far! Reviews are food of the gods...