A/N: *telepathic communication*
the text in italics are lyrics from a song by Nat Cole.
This is dedicated to Verthril who convinced me to keep on going...and to make a previously angsty chapter into a happy one. So, in short- this isn't the last chapter as I expected. Thank you all for the great reviews and support...it makes all the difference.
Warnings: I'm bumping this up to R, just for sexual implications that happen. (Don't get too excited I'm not about to start putting in certain scenes because I blush writing them, and it stops people from reading it.)
Ruby Slippers: Precipice
The glass pavilion was one of the most beautiful places in the city of New York. It stood away from the city, like a glass sphere hanging above the lights, reflecting the stars and moon. Inside there were people milling around, dressed in elegant finery that displayed them as the elite of New York. The party was for Emma's birthday, thrown by her board members despite her protests. Jubilee had convinced her to go, and to put on the shimmering white dress that they had found in a small boutique in the middle of nowhere on one of their excursions. Emma smiled at the thought, nodding politely to the people around her, her eyes roaming around for the younger woman.
She finally found her across the room laughing and talking to several daughters of the board members. Jubilee had chosen a deep red dress that clung to her figure and left her hair loose in the ringlets it tended to form when it wasn't short or in a ponytail. They were talking animatedly and Emma felt a twinge of worry. When they had first begun the relationship, the discussion of age had come up, been discussed and forgotten. However, as she watched the woman with people her own age, she suddenly felt very old. Thirty-seven was far from ancient, but it was a significant age difference when the person you loved was fifteen years younger.
*I thought we decided that wasn't going to be an issue.*
Emma looked up startled to find Jubilee's piercing blue eyes staring at her. She had a wry grin on her face and she winked at Emma. Jubilee excused herself from the group and made her way across the floor, the look in her eyes making Emma shiver.
Stepping up the clique of people, Jubilee smiled and bowed slightly. "May I have this dance Emma Frost?"
Ignoring the stares of her companions, Emma took the proffered hand allowing herself to be swung out onto the floor. The two women slipped into an easy waltz, the band in the background playing the smooth sounds of the blues. Although Jubilee had grown several inches during the five years they were apart, she was still a good five inches shorter than Emma. That night however, Jubilee had chosen to wear heels and Emma wore simple flats so that they were looking at each other eye to eye.
I love you for sentimental reasons. I hope you do believe me.
*Tonight is your night. Why are you worrying about things that don't matter?* Jubilee's thought whispered across Emma's mind like a caress.
*I'm fifteen years older than you are. It isn't going to get better as we get older. When I'm forty, you'll be twenty-five. When I'm fifty, you'll be thirty-five.* Emma frowned as she saw that Jubilee was trying to hide a smile. *What's so funny?*
*Nothing, I just think it's great that you're thinking about us in the long-term. It's sweet.* Jubilee pulled her closer. *And romantic.*
Smiling, Emma breathed in the sweet scent of perfume. *So you won't be upset stuck with a horribly wrinkled old me twenty years from now?*
Jubilee drew her even closer so that they were dancing cheek to cheek. *We live in an uncertain world, Em. Last week I fought three sentinels with the team in Peru, luckily I only came back with a sprained wrist. If we live twenty years from now I would be overjoyed to love you no matter what.*
I give you my heart. I love you and you alone were meant for me.
*You love me?* Shifting slightly, Emma met Jubilee's eyes.
*Yes, I love you. What, do you think I've been dating you for the better part of six months just for kicks?*
*Sarcasm, now I wonder why I was never sure?*
Please give your loving heart to me and say we'll never part.
*And the sarcasm is catching. Tsk. Stick with me kid and I'll show you all sorts of things.* Jubilee leered at her, her grin faded and she looked at Emma intensely. *Seriously, I do love you.*
*And I love you, Jubilation Lee.* Emma put one finger on Jubilee's lips to stop any protests.
The younger woman chuckled, her eyes bright. *Only you Emma Frost could get away with calling me Jubilation and then tell me you love me.*
*What was so wrong with Jubilation in the first place? It embodies everything that you are.*
Jubilee snorted. *It embodies nothing more than my mother when she was
angry with me and father, because he was never home enough to know I liked
to be called anything different.* She sent a mental image of her mother,
hands on hip scolding a four-year old Jubilee about crumbs on the sofa.
*I see, not the best of images is it?*
*I never thought so.* Jubilee replied lightly. *Hence the aforementioned fondness for Jubilee.*
Fingering a stray lock of hair, Emma nodded.*I understand, perhaps some new images are in order?*
Jubilee grinned. *I think that we could make that work. Feel like doing something later tonight?*
"Yes." The whispered word rang out in the sudden silence as the room dimmed and a cake was brought out. It was over five feet tall and decorated with enough sparklers to be banned in several states. Shimmers of light and sparks burst across the room, twinkling lights surrounding them and all Emma could see was the light in Jubilee's eyes as they looked at each other.
-in-
Later that night at Emma's apartment
Jubilee sighed deeply, leaning back to get her breath back under control. Despite what most of the team and her friends thought, she and Emma hadn't yet slept together. That night however, when they had gotten back into the room the kiss had turned into something much more serious. It took all of her self control to stop her hands from shaking as the familiar curl of panic burrowed into her gut.
"What's wrong?" Emma's usually pale face was flushed, and her hair had fallen loose from it's usual upsweep.
Instead of replying, Jubilee let her shields down, letting free her fears and the pain endured while under Bastion's care. Tears formed in her eyes as she let Emma hold her. "Anne and I didn't stay together because it tore her apart to cause me so much pain when all she was trying to do was make it better. I couldn't' stand to have her touch my skin, everytime I closed my eyes I would see him with his wet hands and harsh breathing. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"For what dear heart?"
"I wanted to share everything with you and I still see him." Jubilee shuddered in Emma's arms, and Emma felt a surge of hot anger at the man that had dared to hurt her. Instead, she stroked the silky hair, and drew Jubilee close to her.
"Sweetheart, we both have the same monsters. There was a reason I was alone all of these years. But, as telepaths we have another option to us. Together we can banish these demons, okay?"
Jubilee nodded and allowed Emma to lead her to the bedroom. Once they were on the bed, Emma laid her down on the silk comforter. "Close your eyes."
With gentleness that would have surprised Jean or Charles, Emma joined her mind to Jubilee's. Then with infinite care, she kissed her shoulder replacing the image of pain in Jubilee's mind with one of reality. *I am here, just the two of us, and no one can hurt us.*
Jubilee's eyes flickered open, only to have Emma kiss them shut. *This is for you, Jubilee. Only you.*
A smile played at her lips and she opened her mind to Emma. "Only us."
-in-
Four days later
"I'm not panicked."
Jubilee shook her head. "No you're not."
"Just because nothing has arrived when it was supposed to and the caterer thinks that we ordered 200 plates of teriyaki beef instead of the vegetarian plates we requested..."
"Everything is fine."
"We didn't get the roses like we planned, we got a million and one daisies that are now all over the chapel."
"It looks beautiful."
"I gained three pounds since Thursday and the dress that I spent over 500 dollars on is now tight."
Sighing, Jubilee and reached up to adjust Anne's headpiece one last time. It was, Jubilee checked her watch, exactly thirteen minutes and eighteen seconds before the wedding and it seemed like Anne was using every last second to panic about details too far gone at that point to change or even fix. "You look beautiful, I look fantastic and if I know Alice she looks amazing. Anything and everything else doesn't matter."
Anne had finally gone with the 'meringue' number that she had discovered in the bridal shop and Jubilee had spent many long hours looking for the right outfit to walk Anne down the aisle in. Paige, in the end, had surprisingly come up with a good solution. As one of the younger siblings of the Guthrie household, Paige had been forced to endure several weddings as more often than note, a flowergirl or bridesmaid. The outfit had come about as the result of tweaking East African garb and Indian fabrics. The result was a dark red silk shirt and pant set that had been embroidered with silver, fashioned to accentuate her slim figure.
"You're right." Anne agreed and waited a full-three seconds before starting up again. "Did you remember the rings?"
With a patience only rivaling the gods, Jubilee held out a small velvet box containing the two rings that had been specially made for the occasion. "Here in my hands, where not even Magneto could take them from me. Now," Jubilee gestured to the door. "Are you ready to walk down the aisle before you pop a blood vessel?"
A smile swept across her face and she gave Jubilee a hug. "Let's do this."
-in-
The wedding was beautiful, attended by some of closest friends of both of the women. An aunt caught the bouquet to her delight and embaressment, and people had spent the night dancing and enjoying a night under the stars. Jubilee and Emma swayed gently to the music, taking comfort in the fact that the other was near, and talking idly of small things.
"The New York Pride Parades are next weekend." Jubilee said distractedly. "I've been asked to speak at one of the conventions that are there. I believe it's a group associated with the scientific community. I'm going to be releasing some of my initial data."
"Oh."
Jubilee could feel the minute tensing of muscles in Emma's back and shook off the urge to dip into Emma's mind. "Are you planning to march?"
"I will definitely be there to here you speak." Emma smiled, a gesture that Jubilee was not fooled by after years of living in the Emma-universe.
"But will you march? With me, holding my hand as we celebrate the fact that we're together? And that we're lesbians."
"Nancy has me scheduled for
several meetings next weekend, I'll have to see what I can arrange." Emma
tried to step back into the waltz but was halted by Jubilee's refusal to move.
"And I'm willing to bet that you're going to be just tied up beyond all belief next weekend. What is it Emma? Are you afraid of what people might think that aren't under your total control? Are you afraid of being branded as a dyke? Or is it just that deep, deep down you don't see yourself as a lesbian, just someone who happens to love a woman? It's so much safer that way isn't it? No judging, no name-calling and if all else fails you can say that I was just a fling to your next boyfriend."
Emma just stayed silent, the words hurting her more than she cared to admit.
Shaking her head, Jubilee stepped back. "I am a lesbian, Emma. I don't compromise for you, or for anybody. Either march with me with pride or not at all."
The younger woman left, disappearing among the dancing couples and leaving Emma alone on the dance floor. For the life of her, Emma didn't know how she was going to answer her.
-in-
A/N: I'm not going to make a happy/perfect fairy tale story because I don't think that's how the world works. I got this idea from a friend who lived with a woman for over a year but didn't see herself as a lesbian. And for all of you wondering why Emma has issues when she was willing to dance in front of people at her party one reason is that she was CEO of the company and she pretty much owned them. Other reasons are coming up in the future chapters. Reviews are loved and plot bunnies are nurtured. And go check out Threads of Fallen Angels that my sis and I wrote together... have a safe and wonderful week.