A/N: I think I've gone about as far as I can with this story; which is a lot further than I ever thought I would get when I wrote the first chapter. I have an epilogue that I'm working on, and then I think I'm going to put it away. It was a lot of fun to write, and I'm hoping it was fun for you to read.
Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men, or any other Marvel characters. The only thing that is mine it the plot.
Boy-Scout or Rebel
Jubilation had stopped crying a couple of hours earlier, and then spent the rest of the time getting herself ready for dinner with Scott and his parents. Despite the fact that she felt like it was a hopeless cause with Scott's mom, she still wanted to make as good an impression as possible. So, when Scott knocked at her door to pick her up, she checked her reflection one last time, straightened out her dress, and opened the door.
"Hey, Scott; I'm all ready." She said, with a smile.
"Wow, you look great." He said, taking in her outfit of choice.
"Thank you." She replied. "It's one of my creations."
"Wait, you made this?" He asked. "I didn't know you made dresses too."
"I don't normally." She replied, as she took his hand, and started walking down the hall. "I usually make tops, and I've dabbled with a couple of skirts and some pants; but I really wanted to try making a dress, and while you were visiting your parents this summer, I gave it a shot. I'm just glad that you like it."
"I love it." He replied quickly, and then started blushing. "Ah, my parents are going to meet us there. I'm going to take my new car." His smile disappeared, and she noticed a change in his posture.
"Scott, did something happen?" She asked.
"Nothing." He replied. "I just...nothing."
She wanted to press him, but knew that he was extremely private, and would only close up even more; so she just let it go, knowing that he would tell her when he was ready.
They arrived at the restaurant, and headed inside; Scott's parents were already there waiting for them.
"Hello again, Mr and Mrs Summers." Jubilation said, as she took her seat between Scott and his father.
"Hello, Jubes." Mr Summers said. "Can I call you Jubes? I heard Scott call you that, and I think it's a cute name."
"Ah, sure." She replied. "I never really liked it, when I was a kid, but it's grown on me since Scott started using it." She smiled at Scott.
The waiter came and took their orders, leaving them alone to talk.
"Well, why don't you tell us a little about yourself?" Mr Summers asked. "I mean, you talked to Katherine a bit, but I don't really know much about you."
"Well, I'm from Beverly Hills, California." She replied. "And I'm Chinese."
"And how long have you been going to school at Xavier's?" He asked.
"Three years now." She replied, leaning in to whisper. "I manifested my powers early. Professor Xavier showed up shortly after, and convinced my parents that I would be safer in Westchester."
"Wow, so young." He said. "And yet you took on the challenge of moving all the way across the country, far away from your family; I'm impressed."
"Thank you, sir." She replied, blushing.
"On the subject of school; did you know that she's only a sophomore in high school?" Mrs Summers said, speaking for the first time since they arrived. "Barely even sixteen?"
"Ah, sophomore year; I remember that." Mr Summers said, with a smile. "Oh the fun times I had; and the trouble I got into. Not as memorable as my junior year, though; that's the year I first met Katherine. She was the prettiest freshman in the whole school."
The more time she spent with Scott's father, the more she liked him. It was obvious that he was trying hard to not let his wife pick on her too much; and she wished she could thank him for that.
"Jubes is the top student in her class." Scott said. "She's even taking a couple of junior level classes."
"Well, that's where the similarities end then." Mr Summers said, with a laugh. "I was a straight C student; wouldn't have even gone to college if I hadn't joined the military."
"You were in the military?" She asked.
"Yep; I'm a retired Air Force Major." He replied. "These days, when I fly, it's for myself."
"Dad has a plane that he bought years ago; the Corsair, he calls it." Scott said. "He used to take me up with him all the time; even showed me the basics."
"Never hurts to learn." Mr Summers said.
The waiter returned with their salads, and the conversation stopped for a little bit.
"So, Jubilation, where was it that you told me you were planning on going to university?" Mrs Summers said, after the salads were taken away.
"Ah, the Fashion Institute of Technology." Jubilation replied, looking over to see Mr Summers reaction. "I want to double major in fashion design, and business management; I'm hoping to start my own fashion line, someday."
"Double major?" Mr Summers asked. "And your own fashion line? Well, you certainly are ambitious; good for you."
Jubilation blushed again, and wished that she could hug the man for being so nice to her. "Thank you, sir." She replied.
"Jubes, actually makes a lot of her own clothes already." Scott said. "She made the dress she's wearing tonight."
"Did you, now?" Mr Summers asked. "That is fantastic. How did you get interested in fashion?"
"Well, I've always been into design." She replied. "I used to design clothes for my dolls, when I was a kid, and my mom would help me sew them together. Then, just before I moved to Westchester, I started making some of my own clothes."
"Well, it's good for you, that you found your passion so early in life." Mr Summers said. "Some people take a lot longer, and some never find it. Mine was speed; the faster the better. It's the main reason why I chose the Air Force. I don't think Scott has quite figured his out yet. But he's still young; there's plenty of time."
The waiter arrived with the meals, effectively ending the conversation.
After dessert, Jubilation had gone to the bathroom, and was walking back to the table when she heard Mrs Summers talking from around the corner; so she stopped and listened.
"He's not a child anymore, Christopher." Mrs Summers said. "He's eighteen; it's time he starts acting like an adult."
"Katherine, times have changed." Mr Summers replied. "It's not like it was when we were younger; people can take their time, and figure things out later in life."
"I just don't want him holding himself back because of her." Mrs Summers said. "He hasn't even decided which universities he's going to apply too; I'm afraid that he's going to make his decisions based on her, and where she is."
"I haven't decided on which universities, because I'm not even sure I'm going to go to university." Scott said.
"What?" Mrs Summers asked. "You hear him, Christopher; this is what I'm worried about."
"Scott, I may not agree with your mother about Jubilation; but I do agree with her on the need for you to go to university." Mr Summers said. "Getting a degree can make a huge difference in your life later on."
"I know, dad." Scott replied. "But what would happen if, while away at school, my glasses got knocked off? You remember what happened back home when my powers manifested? I'm not sure I want to put other people at risk like that."
"You can't keep yourself hidden away forever, Scott." Mr Summers said. "You have to live your life."
"I am living my life; at the Institute." Scott replied. "I can just be myself, and not have to worry about people finding out I'm a mutant. I'm not saying that I'm never going to go to university, but I'm not sure if it's for me right now. I was actually thinking of asking the Professor if I could work as his teacher's assistant, after graduation. Since he's an actual professor, he might be able to get me some university credits for it, and, in a few years, once I've accumulated enough credits, I might go to university and finish off a degree in education."
"Really, Scott?" Mrs Summers said, with a sigh. "You can't be serious?"
"Actually, that's not a bad idea." Mr Summers said, sounding thoughtful. "Hear me out Katherine. It may not be how we did things, in our time, but it's a plan; as solid a plan as we've ever gotten out of him. He's taking into account things that we're not; namely his powers, and exposing himself as a mutant. It may be a different path, but if it leads to him getting a degree; I'm okay with it."
"I still think this has more to do with that girl, than anything else." Mrs Summers said. "I mean, seriously, Scott; do you really see a future with her?"
"I wouldn't be with her if I didn't think there could be a future with her." Scott replied. "But I'm not making any long term plans just yet, either. We're both still really young, and a lot can happen before we ever get to that point. Just because you got married when you were sixteen, and dad was eighteen, doesn't mean that that's what I'm going to do; times have changed. Most people, these days, don't get married and start having families until their mid-twenties, or early thirties; I have time."
"I just don't get why you're not with someone more like that Jean girl; she seemed nice, and I could tell that she liked you." Mrs Summers said. "She's your age, and she already has her whole career planned out."
"So does Jubes, in case you weren't listening." Scott replied.
"Fashion? Really?" Mrs Summers asked. "What kind of career is that? It's a joke, is what it is."
"I'm done with this conversation." Scott said. "I'm starting to get a headache."
"Scott..." Mrs Summers said.
"No mom, no more." Scott said, sternly. "I love you, but I can't listen to any more of this. I told you this afternoon, while I was showing you around the grounds; so stop it. I know you want the best for me, but you can't predict the future any more than I can. Maybe Jubes and I are soul-mates, and we'll eventually get married, have three kids, and live in a house in the suburbs; maybe not. Maybe there's a future out there where I'm married to Jean; who knows. Heck there may even be a future out there where Jean goes crazy and kills me; I don't know. But what I do know is that I love Jubes, and she's the one I want to be with; if you can't accept that, then we're going to have a problem."
'He loves me?' Jubilation thought, as she replayed his final words in her head. She heard a chair being pushed back sharply, and decided that she should make her appearance; so she turned around the corner, and pretended that she hadn't heard anything. "I'm back." She said.
"Okay." Scott said, looking over at her. "We're going to head back now; it's getting late, and we both have classes tomorrow morning."
"Oh, okay." Jubilation said, turning to face Mr and Mrs Summers. "Thank you for dinner, and it's been a pleasure meeting you both."
"It was a delight to meet you, Jubes." Mr Summers said, standing up to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'm sorry about my wife." He whispered into her ear. Then he pulled back, and gave her a huge smile.
Mrs Summers walked around the table, and gave Jubilation a brief hug. "It was nice to meet you." She said.
Scott took Jubilation's hand, and lead her outside to his car.
She was a little surprised when Scott turned away from the direction of the Institute, but she didn't say anything.
He drove to the lookout point where they had their first kiss and parked.
Jubilation could tell by the way he slumped back in his seat, that he was still upset about the conversation he had just had with his parents. "Are you okay?" She asked.
"Yeah." He replied, reaching under his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I just wish...nothing."
She placed her hand on his knee and squeezed. "Scott, I know you're a very private guy, and I can understand that you can't talk about it right now; but I'm always here if you ever need someone to talk too." She said.
He smiled at her, and squeezed her hand. "Thanks, Jubes." He replied. "It means a lot to me, to hear you say that."
"I mean it, Scott." She said. "I care about you, and I'll be here if you need to talk."
"I know." He replied, giving her a smile. "I'm just not ready to talk about this stuff yet."
"Okay." She said. Then she looked around the inside of the car. "You know, I didn't really take the time to look before, but this is a really cool car."
"Yeah, it is pretty cool." He replied, seemingly relaxing a little now that the subject had changed.
"Just a shame there's no back seat." She said, holding back a smile. "Would have been nice to have a place to fool around a bit."
She could hear Scott sitting up straighter in his seat. "What?" He asked, his voice cracking a little.
"It's a little hard to do anything more than kissing at the Institute; what with the Professor's powers, and Raven constantly on the prowl for trouble-makers." She replied, as nonchalantly as she could. "Just saying, that it would have been nice to have a back seat in here, so we could get away, from time to time, and do...stuff."
"What kind of stuff?" He asked, visibly swallowing.
"I don't know. Just...stuff; like more than just kissing." She replied, blushing profusely. "I mean, I don't think I'm ready to go all the way just yet; even though there are times when I look at you, and totally think that we should just do it. But, I'm ready to do more than just kiss."
"Are you sure?" He asked. "Because, I don't want you to think that you need to do anything because of me. I'm okay with just kissing you; I can wait until you're ready for more."
"I'm sure." She replied. "I want to do more than kiss; not because I feel pressured, but because I really want too."
"Okay." Scott said. "If you really want too, than we can try doing more than just kissing sometime."
"Good." She replied. Then she started lifting the strap that held her sling around her neck, over her head.
"Jubes, your shoulder." Scott said, turning in his seat to face her.
"It's fine." She replied, removing the sling completely, and flexing her hand. "Henry said I only had to wear it for a week, anyways."
"But it hasn't been a week yet." He said.
"Yeah, but it's going to get in the way." She replied.
"In the way of what?" He asked.
Instead of reply, she climbed into his lap; sitting with her back to the door. "There, that's much better." She said, with a smile. "No back seat, but it's a good thing I'm so small." Then she leaned in, and started kissing him.
They kissed for a while, Scott seemingly not taking the hint that she wanted more, or not sure what more entailed; so she had to build up the courage to say something that would let him know what she wanted.
Finally, she pulled back just enough to speak. "Scott, with the way this dress is cut, wearing a bra is a little uncomfortable." She whispered. "So...I'm not wearing one."
The way his eyebrows shot up over the rim of his glasses, she was sure that, if she could see them, his eyes would be huge; and that made her smile.
They arrived back at the Institute later that evening, and, after parking the car, headed inside. Scott walked her to her room, holding her hand, and kissed her goodnight.
She stepped into her room, and turned on the lights, before changing into her pajamas. Just as she finished changing, there was a knock at her door.
She opened it to find Ororo standing there. "Ah, hey, Ororo." She said.
"Hey, Jubilation." Ororo said, stepping into her room. "How was dinner with Scott's parents?"
Jubilation closed the door, and went to sit down on her bed. "It was okay." She replied. "Scott's mom hates me, and thinks he should he dating Jean; but at least his dad seems to really like me."
"It doesn't surprise me, that his mom dislikes you." Ororo said, sitting on the only chair in the room. "It's come to my attention that mothers in western culture tend not to like anything too different from themselves, when it comes to girls dating their sons. But that should not concern you; it's how Scott feels about you that matters."
Jubilation started smiling as she remembered what Scott had told his parents, while she had been listening. "He told them that he loves me." She said. "He didn't know I could hear him, I was around the corner, but he said it."
"He did?" Ororo asked, suddenly a lot more interested. "Has he said it to you yet?"
"No." Jubilation replied. "But he's a very private guy, and expressing his feelings is hard for him; so I can wait."
"Do you love him?" Ororo asked.
"I don't know." Jubilation replied, dropping back onto her bed. "I've never been in love. How do I know?"
"I couldn't tell you that." Ororo replied. "I guess you'll just know when you are."
"Yeah." Jubilation sighed. She found it weird that, of all the girls at the Institute, Ororo had become one of her best friends, despite the age difference. Ororo was also the only girl who didn't seem even remotely jealous of her dating Scott; which was probably the reason they had managed to get along so well.
"So...how did things go after dinner?" Ororo asked, with a hint of a smile in her voice.
Jubilation lifted her head to see that Ororo was smiling, knowingly. "What are you talking about?" She asked, forcing herself not to smile.
"I may not be from here, but I'm not stupid, Jubilation." Ororo replied. "The restaurant is only thirty minutes away, and I doubt dinner took four hours; so, since you got home around nine-thirty, that means that there is some time unaccounted for."
"Scott was feeling a little down, after dinner; so he drove to the lookout point where we had out first kiss, and parked." Jubilation replied.
"And?" Ororo asked.
"And, we kissed." Jubilation replied.
"And?" Ororo asked.
"And...stuff." Jubilation replied, blushing profusely again.
"Did you...what's the term I've heard people use? Do it?" Ororo asked.
"No." Jubilation replied, quickly, with a giggle. "We didn't go all the way just yet. We're waiting until the time is right; until we're both ready."
"Ah, but you did do more than just kiss." Ororo said, and it was obviously not a question.
"Yeah." Jubilation replied. "We did more."
"How was it?" Ororo asked.
"Ororo?" Jubilation gasped, sitting back up, and looking at the other girl in shock. "I'm not going to tell you that."
"Why not?" Ororo asked. "I would tell you."
Jubilation started laughing as she threw herself back onto the bed; Ororo soon joined her.
THE END