Well here's another chapter, tried to make this chapter a little bit longer, so here goes.

Disclaimer:Yeah, I don't own Gen X etc etc. But I did invent Kes!!

Popsicle

As the weeks went by, Kes gained more and more control over her 'Sight'. There was one moment in training where she had seen no colour at all around the White Queen. It left her elated for weeks although she hadn't been able to repeat it since. She practiced constantly. In class, talking with her friends, walking with Angelo. She even tried it once during Gym and Martial Arts training, but that saw her flying over Jubilee's head and landing with a thump since she couldn't concentrate on both at once. Martial Arts was the class she enjoyed the most after History. She even found she was rather good at it, being light and fast on her feet and also blessed with balance and agility. Although she knew she would never be at the level of Jubilee, it didn't stop her trying.

She was reinforcing her crystal walls as she did every afternoon, when Jubilee came flying into her room in a state of elation and excitement.

"Kes!!" she yelled at the top of her lungs causing Kes to fall clear of the bed in surprise, "Why are you down there? You will never guess who's here!! It's Bobby!!! I haven't him since I ditched the Mansion!!"

Kes picked herself up off the floor, grabbed Jube's shoulders to stop her from bouncing up and down and grinned at her, catching on to her enthusiasm.

"So where is your partner is crime then?" Kes had heard the stories of Jubilee and Bobby and the pranks they had successfully pulled. Jubilee grabbed Kes's hand and dragged her first to Angelo's room to announce the news to him too, then down to the door of the Academy where a tall, good looking brown haired and blue eyed guy stood uncomfortably, shifting from foot to foot.

"Popsicle!!" Jubilee yelled again, causing a grin to spread over his face. He caught her as Jubilee flung herself into his arms, wrapping her hands around his neck in a choke hold. He laughed and swung her round in a circle, Angelo and Kes shaking their heads with grins on their faces as they looked on.

"Dude!! I totally thought you had forgotten me!! Where have you been??!!"

"Calm down Jube's you are kind of unforgettable, you know." Said the Iceman, still laughing, "And I'll have you know I am officially a team leader now."

"Leader!!" she yelped, "Why didn't you tell me in your letters??" she asked fiercely, punching his arm hard.

"Oww!! I wanted to tell you in person, Jube's! I swear that's why."

Jubilee grinned, "Ah well, can't fault you for that I spose. I just missed my partner in crime."

Bobby smiled down at her, "So did I," he replied simply.

It was then that they realised they had an audience. Angelo grinned, Kes did a little wave, grinning as well. Jubilee, shock of shocks, actually blushed. Just ever so slightly, but in was enough for Kes to raise her eyebrows in surprise and made a mental note to interrogate her friend later on. She also noticed that her black holes lessened and her pink aura became a softer, more baby pink than hot pink. Jubilee let Bobby out of her choke hold only to seize his hand and drag him unceremoniously over to where the two were standing.

"Espinosa."

"Drake." They nodded to each other.

"Come on guys, get over yourselves," said Jubilee, "Dude, this is Kes, she moved her a while ago from, like, New Zealand," Jubilee said by way of introduction. A look of confusion swept over Bobby's face. Kes noticed it immediately. You'd think being in the X-Men, they would all have a wicked sense of geography, Kes thought wryly, but oh no, little old NZ always gets missed out. She took pity on him.
"You know Australia?" she asked. He nodded. "Well we are below it and a little to the east."

Comprehension dawned on his face, "Ohhh! There! Is that what it's called? Thought you sounded funny." He grinned at her, obviously teasing. She grinned back and held out her hand.
"Kestral Tresswell." Bobby grasped her hand with his own and shook, bowing as he did so.

"Bobby Drake. Pleasure to make you acquaintance fine lady."

"The pleasure is all mine good sir." She curtsied.

Jubilee groaned, "Two comedians in one room, how will we survive?! Ange, I'm camping out with you."

"Hey!" Angelo replied in mock seriousness, "I am extremely funny, chica, I have people in stitches with my wit and charm."

Jubilee grinned impishly, "Either that or they are in stitches of pain from your sad attempt at comedy."

Angelo leapt at her and tickled her mercilessly to the ground, leaving her a giggling, screaming and rumpled heap, streaming out an impressive array curses in Mandarin, English and Cajun.

Kes and Bobby looked on shaking their heads.

"Children," said Bobby.

"I know," replied Kes, "The immaturity. Shocking"

"Guys!!!!" screeched Jubilee, "Do something!!!"

They laughed and pulled Angelo off her with considerable effort.

"Well Jubicita," he said with a grin, "You are certainly an education for my vocabulary."

She looked at him with a murderous expression on her face and threw some paffs at him, just enough to make spots dance in front of his eyes, tossed her hair in an uncanny imitation of Paige and stalked towards the lounge saying,

"Come my loyal subjects, we need not entertain the company of impertinent and annoying boys."

They all just laughed and followed her out of the hallway.

"Dibs on the Master Controller!!" Bobby yelled suddenly, sprinting past Jubilee, followed closely by Angelo and Kes.

"Nah, it's mine!!"

"I shot gunned it first!!"

They clambered through the door way and collapsed onto the couch. Three heads turned toward Kes and Jubilee asked what they were all thinking-

"Dude, what's shot gun?"*

*********************

Later that night, Jubilee and Kes sat on Kes's bed, just catching up and talking about some of Jubilee's experiences at the mansion and with Gen-X. As the conversation came to an end, Kestral contemplated asking the question that had been niggling at her all day. But Jubilee wasn't much of an "OMG, like I'm sooo into him, isn't he hot?" kind of girl. For all her loudness and enthusiasm, she was very cagey in letting out her actual emotions, preferring to keep them to herself. Kes suspected it was a fear of getting hurt. And she didn't blame her one bit, the X-Men hadn't exactly been the most reliable parental figures, and being a mutant made things harder. Kes bit the bullet.

"Jubes?"

"Hmm?"

"Um......what's up with you and Bobby?"

Jubilee's head snapped up and sapphire eyes bore into Kes's own. Kes stared back at her refusing to blink. They did this for a minute until Jubilee blinked and said lightly,

"What makes you think there's anything goin' on between me and Ice Boy?"

Kes breathed out. Whew, she wasn't going to get a blasted. Then she shook her head with amusement,

"Bro, I see auras, remember? I see the affect different people have on each other, and he turns your hot bubblegum pink into baby pink." She paused, and then grinned, "And you blushed, oi."

Years of keeping her emotions hidden prevented Jubilee from blushing a second time. She just sighed,

"It's just that it's Bobby, you know? He was my first friend at the Mansion, even though he's like, four years older. He knew what it was liked to be the youngest, underestimated and forgotten every now and then. And he never forgot me or ran away. Not like Wolvie. We pranked that place into turmoil," she remembered with a look of nostalgia on her face, "Now I'm reduced to pranking Frosty and Hayseed and that just ain't as much fun, they're too easy. Ange is great, but he will never be more than a friend, we're too alike. Besides," she said devilishly, "You've staked a claim on him."

It was Kes's turn to blush as Jubilee cackled evilly before continuing,

"I don't know what his take on it is though, I don't know if I'm just his favourite firecracker, pranker extraordinaire and partner in crime or.... yeah." Jubilee fell silent.

Kes didn't say anything for a bit, then just said,

"Thanks for trusting me, Jubes."

Jubilee just smiled crookedly at her, "You have this weird 'trust me I won't spill your secrets vibe.' It's unsettling and reassuring at the same time." She shook her head.

"Anyway, what's up with you and Ange, huh?"

Kes groaned and threw her pillow at her.

So, how do you think its going?? Oh and shot gun is basically like calling first dibs, it's an Otamatea High School thing lol, I've never heard it anywhere else.