Chapter 3

"Downward to night, but not of moon and cloud,
Not night with all its stars, as night we know,
But burdened with an ocean-weight of woe
The darkness closed us." - Dante

Jubilee held her face up to the rain, letting it pound against her cheeks and forehead, enjoying its icy coolness.

"What you doin' up here petite?"

Jubilee closed her eyes briefly before sighing, "Trying to be alone."

Remy chuckled as he sat down beside her, "That usually be my line petite. Not many places you can be alone in a house full of 'paths."

Jubilee turned her head, studying Remy's profile, "I don't suppose there is."

Remy looked out across the grounds of the mansion, thoughtful; "It's a hard thing."

Jubilee nodded, "I just don't want to hear the words Remy. I don't want to see the looks in their eyes, the fear and hear them say the words, knowing that in their hearts they don't believe them."

Remy turned looking Jubilee in the eye, "Who's to say they don't believe them? Even if they only be lying to themselves petite. It's a cold ting', knowing someone you love is dying. Sometimes believing that they'll get better is the only ting' keep you goin'."

"I'm just so tired Remy."

Remy drew her into his arms and held her close, "Remy know petite, Remy know."

Jubilee closed her eyes again and rested against Remy's strength for a while, she knew that reality ruled that soon this moment would end but while it lasted it was simply good to be held, good to know she didn't have to be strong with everyone.

"So what now Hank?" Logan asked.

Hank sighed, "There's a few things I can try, some procedures that might work."

"The odds?"

"Not good, I... I don't think we caught it in time to save her Logan."

Logan looked out the main loungeroom window. It had only been three hours since Jubilee had been told, since she'd shrugged off the comforting hand he'd tried to put on her shoulder and walked out of Hank's lab without a word. Logan knew that she was on the roof. He respected her need for privacy though. She would come down when she was ready to.

Elsewhere in the mansion...

"I can't talk long Angelo," Paige said, twirling the phone line around her fingers in agitation.

Angelo looked at Jonothon, and raised an eyebrow. Since Jono could only talk through the means of his psionic abilities Angelo had agreed to become a go-between for him and Paige. The two teenagers had finally decided to put away the angst and try something close to a normal relationship, or whatever you would call normal between two mutants when one only had half a face, although lately Jono had been working on that as well.

Jonothon with the help of Everett was learning to control his powers more and more. Emma and Sean had seen that Everett with his power to synch with other mutants might be able to understand their powers more then those that held them directly. Much as a bystander can see more of the picture then someone directly involved in what's going on.

Angelo had put Paige on the speaker so he wouldn't have to tell Jono her part of the conversation.

*Ask her what's up, * Jono told Angelo.

"What's up?" Angelo asked.

"It's Jubilee, you know those headaches she was getting, well there weren't harmless like we thought they were."

"So they weren't just because of Jubilee's powers then like Emma thought?" Angelo asked.

"No, Angelo, she's got cancer. Hank told us all a couple of hours ago and Jubilee's been hangin' out on the roof. When I went up there to talk to her she paffed me."

"Shit, is Hank sure?"

"I don't see as why he'd tell us something like that if he wasn't sure," Paige replied.

Angelo's face had gone pale in shock and Jono's eyes widened,

*Ask her if Hank said anything about treatment * Jono sent.

"Not much, everyone was pretty much in shock. I didn't stick around to long after he told us. I thought Jubilee might need someone to talk to that wasn't an adult. She's got this whole thing going about how she's supposed to be the strong one."