Rating ¡¦PG

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Chapter 6: At Work & Play & More Work

Long legs and long red hair greeted Logan as he entered the kitchen. His focus had been on the coffeepot, but attractive women making coffee in the bright early hours of the day could take the surly edge off any man, and Logan was no exception.

"Stealin' some coffee, Jeannie?" he teased. "Ya oughta keep more supplies down at the boathouse."

"Returning it, actually," she replied, indicating the plastic bags on the counter. "Scott had an early conference call with Charles and Sean, so I ran to the market this morning."

The overhead cabinet opened itself obligingly as she approached it with both hands full of items to be put away. "I picked up a little bit of everything; I'm not sure who's turn it was to do the shopping this week, but it looks like they're falling down on the job." Neither of them remarked at the fact she was levitating several feet off the ground, items on the top shelf floating around her like satellite moons as she rearranged the contents to her liking. "I almost bought some bubblegum for Jubilee, but at the last moment I couldn't remember what flavor she liked."

"She don't chew gum any more," Logan commented over the rim of his cup. "Says going without for so long got her over the habit."

"Really? I hadn't noticed. Some days, I can't tell that she's grown up at all," Jean said lightly. "I distinctly heard Bobby give a fair imitation of Banshee yesterday when he saw what Jubilee did to his car."

"Sometimes," he allowed wryly. Bobby had spent hours searching for the tires to his car. The last one had finally been found floating in the lake. "Somedays, though¡¦ " His words trailed off, unwilling to complete the thought aloud.

Jean made a non-committal 'hmmm' sound from inside the pantry. As a woman, more than a telepath, she was aware of the emotional dynamics of her teammates. Logan had been dubious when Jubilee and Scott had discussed her returning to the team after her last year college, even as a junior member on a probationary status. He had also not been completely in favor of Cyclops¡¦ decision when she¡¦d been so swiftly admitted to full X-man status after her return from the Shi¡¦ar planet. And two days ago, he¡¦d been incensed to hear Jubilee and Creed were leaving on an undercover mission, just the two of them. "Perhaps Jubilee has merely fulfilled her potential earlier that anticipated. A trial by fire is notorious for doing just that."

"She¡¦s got plenty of time to do any fulfillin¡¦, Jeannie. She's just a kid."

"She's twenty-two," corrected Jean mildly. "She's legally an adult. She's also an alpha mutant and a full member of the X-men. She's no longer a child, Logan."

"I know that in my head, Jeannie. It¡¦s my gut that needs convincing." He shifted uncomfortably. ¡¦Maybe I¡¦m just having trouble with the fact that Jube's all grown up, and she don't need me any more. She use ta look up to me, and now the old man's obsolete."

"You're not obsolete, Wolvie," came a third voice, and they both turned to see Jubilee standing in the doorway. How he hadn¡¦t heard her approach, he could not have said. Looking like a model in a motorcycle ad, she wore leather pants, a torn black tee-shirt with rolled up sleeves, and combat boots. A liberal application of gel slicked her hair back in a glassy wet look. The two women exchanged a significant look; if a psychic conversation took place it was over swiftly.

~Listen to her,~ was the last silent comment from Jean to Logan as she swiftly left the kitchen to the two of them.

Unusually tentative, Jubilee approached the counter and pulled a mug from the tree beside the coffee pot. Logan filled it for her, and freshened his own. He wasn¡¦t entirely sure why he was reluctant to speak first, but Jubilee beat him to it.

"I know I've been busy lately, but I figured everything was cool. I mean, you haven't been pulling Vic's chain, so I thought you were okay with things."

"It ain't about him, Jube."

Jubilee crossed her arms and leaned against the counter, for a moment resembling the teenager she once was. Then her face lifted, turning towards him, and the long scar on her face was pale against the slight flush of her cheek.

"Maybe you should just tell me, Wolvie."

Rubbing the back of his neck didn't make the words come any easier. "I'm just not sure who you are anymore, darlin¡¦. You went off to college, an' then you disappeared. Now you're all grown up."

"You're saying you don't know how to deal with me as an adult."

"Yeah. I guess that's it."

¡¦Logan, we haven¡¦t spent more than an afternoon in each other¡¦s company since I left Snow Valley, so I know I'm a little different than you remember, but I still need you. You're my best friend in the whole world."

"This world, maybe," he said gruffly. "But you've got Bishop, too."

Logan belatedly remembered Jubilee¡¦s Delta level psychic ability and abruptly stifled his impressions of the scene on the back terrace, but it was too late.

"Me and Bishop¡¦ oh.¡¦ She took a careful sip of the strong, black brew. ¡¦I didn't think you knew about that," she said at last. "Bish and I.. we're not involved, romantically. We're friends. What we did for each other when things were really bad, well¡¦ that was just part of it."

"I don't need to hear this, Jube."

"Yes, you do. All cards on the table here." She took a deep breath. "I promised myself I'd say this to you, back when things were really bad and I thought for sure I'd never see you again. I know you hate talking about stuff like this, and frankly I don't have time for it right now, so I'm just gonna talk, and you can just listen."

She looked at him from the corner of her eye and caught his nod.

"Okay. I am not - at this particular moment - in love with you."

Logan shot her a startled look, but she didn't let him interrupt. "I have been, off and on, since I was about sixteen years old. As far as I¡¦m concerned, you¡¦re the finest man I¡¦ve ever known. My first choice for a friend or a lover."

When she looked over at him, her eyes were a clear, deep blue, while a melancholy fondness lifted the corners of her mouth. ¡¦I imagine it¡¦s kinda what you feel for Jean ¡¦loving someone, and knowing they love you back, but not in the way you want them to. ¡¦Course, you¡¦ve got that whole Lancelot an¡¦ Guinevere thing going on, and that¡¦s one bit I don¡¦t have to deal with. Because I¡¦m not going to go through life hanging on to that one hope and let all the other possibilities slip through my fingers.

"I just wanted you to know this so there are no misunderstandings. I¡¦m not putting any time lines or deadlines or any other kinda lines out here, and you don't have to say anything, or feel obligated, because it doesn't really matter. I just wanted you to know."

Abruptly she looked around, as though she'd heard something he had not, and snagged another mug from the tree. Oversized, it was nauseatingly cute, with a parade of Persian kittens around it. "Gotta go," she announced, filling the cup quickly. "See ya later." A casual sidestep avoided the hand Logan reached out to her as she left him standing in the kitchen, stunned.

"Here," Jubilee said gruffly, pushing the kitten mug into Creed's hands as she lead the way out to the garage. "Everything ready?" He'd been lurking right outside the kitchen door.

"Yeah," Creed responded. He took a large swallow and followed behind Jubilee as she slammed her way through the door separating the garage and the hallway to the kitchen. "Tell me sumthin," he asked.

"What?" she answered shortly.

"How come you don't clink when you walk?" A steely blue glare only increased his humor. "'Cause I swear you gotta have some serious brass balls."

"Vic," she growled. "Don't start."

"I ain't seen the runt that tongue-tied since the time this stripper in Haung Bey pulled a snake outta¡¦"

"NO DETAILS," warned Jubilee, checking over her motorcycle. "I don't need any more disturbing images from you, 'kay?"

"I was gonna say her wig," he protested innocently.

"Sure you were," she replied sarcastically, placing her coffee cup on the wooden shelf beside her jacket and helmet. Closing her eyes briefly, she reached out and found Xavier's mental presence, just as she'd detected Creed when he'd been eavesdropping.

~A few more minutes, Jubilee. Hank had a few last minute adjustments to make.~

~You mean he's fussing,~ she replied, projecting her affectionate exasperation. ~Vic and I are waiting in the garage.~

"We've got a couple of minutes," she told Creed aloud as she strapped her jacket to the seat of her motorcycle and hung her helmet on the hook beside the saddle. The bright yellow faring had had several death skull decals added, and she peeled one up and repositioned it. "Hank's still playing with the equipment."

A slurp answered her. "So what's the plan?"

"Two days to Sturgis, then at least a week of intel gathering. You know that. And we will be sleeping in that motel room, Vic. You wanna get lucky, do it on your own time."

"I ain't playing with Baldie's toys, Jube," he told, ignoring her comment on where he'd sleep. "Told you that already."

"Don't worry, I'll handle the Cerebro unit. You're not even remotely psychic; all you could use it for is a chew toy."

"An' all you want me to do is listen to people?" he queried, still skeptical.

"The Professor wants to know the general level of anti-mutant hostility in different levels of society. He can roll around all the board rooms and tea rooms in the world, but he can't get near people with, shall we say, less rarified airs about them."

"So we're gonna hang out at the biggest biker convention in the world with our thumbs up our asses, listenin' to people bitch?"

"Pretty much," Jubilee agreed with a grin.

"Whatever turns ya on," he said with a shrug. "Speakin' of things that turn ya on, when're you gonna jump the runt and get it out of your system?"

Closing her eyes on Victor's smirk and slowly counting to ten, Jubilee willed the blush in her cheeks to go away. "I am not going to jump Logan," she replied. "Not that it's any of your business. I just wanted to quit dancing around the truth. If what Gambit and Rogue have put each other through for - what, six years now? - is any indication of what ¡¦romance¡¦ is, then I pass."

"Yeah? Well, my offer still stands. He don't want ya, then I'll take ya."

One fine black eyebrow arched. "Vic, while I will admit to a certain amount of curiosity¡¦ never gonna happen."

He shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for tryin.'"

A flick of her finger tossed a small plasmoid into his coffee cup.

"SHIT!" Experienced reflexes had the cup sailing out the garage, tumbling through the air and pouring out the last inches of coffee in a brown arc before the tiny bomb detonated, spraying the grass and drive with droplets. Unscathed, the cup landed in the grass and bounced.

¡¦Sonoavabitch,¡¦ he said flatly.

Hank appeared in the garage at that moment, forestalling any further escalation of hostilities, with the missing equipment for their mission tucked under one furry arm. Disguised as a laptop, its battered case disguised a portable Cerebro unit with all the electronic gee-whiz that could possibly be packed into the chassis.

¡¦I¡¦ve made just a few modifications, Jubilee. The headset has been configured to resemble the average stereo headphones. The battery pack is new; it should last approximately fifteen percent longer¡¦¡¦ His voice trailed off as Jubilee deftly appropriated the device.

¡¦Don¡¦t worry, Hank,¡¦ she assured him as she shoved it into the leather saddlebag strapped to her motorcycle. ¡¦I¡¦ll be careful, I¡¦ll charge it, I¡¦ll treat it like a newborn.¡¦ She emphasized her words with a hearty slap on the bag. ¡¦See ya in two weeks, Blue.¡¦

Creed threw one long leg over his ancient machine and rolled it off its kickstand. Jubilee followed suit, and the engines roared as one, drowning out McCoy¡¦s protests. Together they revved the throttles, the throaty grumbles calling savagely to each other like lions in the savanna. A wild grimace of enjoyment creased Victor¡¦s face.

¡¦Hey, Jube! That motel room ya booked in Sturgis ¡¦that got one bed or two?"

"Give it a rest, Vic!¡¦ she shouted. Reaching in the pocket of her leather vest, she pulled out a pair of shades. Rather than her usual pink Ray- Bans, they were steel rimmed, Terminator style glasses that turned her face into a tough mask.

¡¦Let's ride."



**********

The football lying on the manicured grass of Xavier¡¦s expansive front lawn had undergone many trials in its short life: it had been frozen, flash- fried, levitated, and hit by concussive beams. Sometimes all in the same game. But the faded leather ovoid currently appeared small and insignificant as Victor Creed¡¦s long, taloned fingers wrapped around it. Crouched opposite him, Robert Drake was doing his best to appear casual and unconcerned in the face of his predatory glare. Only the faint wisp of vapor coming off his fingers betrayed his elevated tension.

¡¦Hike!¡¦ Creed shouted abruptly, dropping back rapidly.

As he¡¦d been instructed, Tweed ran a short pattern around Bishop; Vic stopped abruptly and threw the ball, ignoring the minor impact as Bobby tackled his waist. Jubilee darted from one side of Rogue to the other, attempting to distract the southern belle. It didn¡¦t work. Diving, she bypassed her opponent and rose several feet off the ground to intercept the pass.

¡¦HEY!! No powers!¡¦ shrieked Jubilee. ¡¦Tweed, nail her!!¡¦

Confused, the young man glanced up the field before taking off in pursuit of Rogue. He gave it a valiant effort, but couldn¡¦t catch up. Crossing the sweatshirts that outlined the goal line, Rogue spiked the ball with a triumphant ¡¦Hah!¡¦

Creed swore and slowed his shambling jog to a walk, then stopped and glanced down. ¡¦You wanna let go now, Popsicle?¡¦

Somewhat abashed, Bobby muttered something and loosened his hold around Creed¡¦s waist. Bishop chuckled and gave Rogue a high-five slap as she tossed the ball to Jubilee.

¡¦Bish, you traitor! You¡¦re on our side. And there¡¦s no way that counted, Rogue,¡¦ Jubilee protested loudly. ¡¦We said no powers.¡¦

¡¦Ah jumped!¡¦ she insisted.

¡¦My hairy ass you did,¡¦ Creed rumbled.

¡¦What about your ass?¡¦ Rogue asked in a flirty tone. Creed raised an eyebrow at her, but grinned back at her. ¡¦Ya ain¡¦t gettin¡¦ out of it that easy, frail.¡¦

¡¦Wolvie! Get over here! We need an umpire.¡¦

¡¦Not on your tintype, kid,¡¦ Logan replied from his comfortable spot on the stone steps. He took several deep puffs on his newly-lit cigar and blew out the smoke, relishing the cool morning and rare moment of leisure. Recently missions had taken a dramatic increase, and, as a whole, the X-men had not had the time to even catch their breath. ¡¦Not even on a bet.¡¦

¡¦What bet?¡¦ asked Cyclops, swinging the door shut behind him and descending the stairs beside Logan. Dressed in sweatpants and t-shirt, running shoes on his feet, he was obviously headed out for a jog.

¡¦No bet. They think I¡¦m gonna tell Rogue she cheated,¡¦ Logan told him. ¡¦They got another think coming.¡¦

¡¦Uh-huh,¡¦ responded Scott with understanding as he adjusted the elasticized ¡¦nerd¡¦ band that held his red glasses on while he jogged or performed other strenuous activities. He began to move and stretch as he watched the eclectic assortment of people line up on the lawn again.

Scott and Logan listened as Jubilee argued with Bobby, with Rogue and Creed adding their opinions. Finally Jubilee demanded a girls versus guys game, with Bishop filling out the roster for the women to make it three against three.

Lacking a coin among them, Jubilee and Bobby faced off with a quick rock- paper-scissors that left the Iceman in possession of the ball. Bobby won ¡¦aper covers rock - and pulled Tweed and Sabretooth into a huddle.

On the sidelines, Cyclops paused in his stretch to watch the action intensely.

¡¦Okay, guys, here¡¦s the plan,¡¦ Bobby started. ¡¦Tweed, I want you to guard Jube. Vic, you¡¦re gonna fake Rogue out, but get some space between you¡¦¡¦

¡¦You tryin¡¦ to tell me what to do, little man?¡¦ rumbled Sabretooth warningly. Tweed, finely attuned to Vic¡¦s volatile moods, moved back a step.

¡¦Whoa,¡¦ protested Bobby mildly. ¡¦I¡¦m just asking you to catch a ball. Unless you think Stick Boy here can catch it?¡¦

¡¦Hey!¡¦ Tweed complained.

¡¦The way you throw?¡¦ scoffed Vic. ¡¦I got a better idea.¡¦ His shaggy head bent closer to the others.

¡¦Well. I will be damned,¡¦ breathed Scott reverently.

¡¦What?¡¦ Logan asked, puzzled.

Scott nodded to the three men standing together, discussing strategy. ¡¦Sabretooth is standing on our yard, taking orders from the Iceman.¡¦

Logan caught the wink Jubilee directed towards Cyclops, and considered the two groups of players. ¡¦How much did you just lose?¡¦

Cyclops snorted. ¡¦A hundred bucks.¡¦

Minutes later, the football left Bobby¡¦s hand in a wobbly spiral and landed in Creed¡¦s hands. Jubilee made the fatal mistake of worrying more about him and discounted Tweed¡¦s end run around her. Rogue brought the big man down, but not before he shuttled a short pass to Tweed; once down, he kept the untouchable woman on the ground by sitting on her.

Jubilee let out a howl and took off after Tweed, but he was almost as tall as Bobby with equally long legs, and she never had a chance to catch him. Panting, Jubilee joined him in the end zone, where he made a gesture to hand her the ball before abruptly pulling it out of her reach and spiking it to the grass.

¡¦Smartass!¡¦ she declared, scooping up the ball.

Lined up once more, Jubilee eyed Bobby across the grass before calling the hike and dropping back. She feinted left and faked a handoff to Bishop.

¡¦Watch those hands, boy!¡¦ yelled Rogue, as Tweed grabbed her from behind. At the same time, Bishop and Bobby met in a bone-crunching grapple.

¡¦Oh, shit!¡¦ Jubilee exclaimed as Vic, not fooled by the fake, closed in on her. She darted to one side, counting on her faster speed to get her past the big man. Unfortunately, she was one step away from being out of his reach, and he snagged her shoulder just enough to make her break stride. Not bothering to tackle her, he wrapped one long arm around her and heaved her right off the ground and onto his shoulder, ball and all.

¡¦Goddamn it, Vic! Put me down!¡¦ she demanded, her voice oddly punctuated as he broke into a jog, jouncing her heavily on every step. ¡¦VI-I-I-I- C!!!¡¦

¡¦Ya want down? Here ya go!¡¦ he announced, dropping her unceremoniously on her butt behind the goal line.

Furious, Jubilee let out a wordless scream and pounded both fists and feet on the grass while laughter rang out in the crisp October air. ¡¦You two can just shut up!¡¦ she told Logan and Scott, both chuckling helplessly from their vantage point on the stairs.

¡¦Hey! You losers gonna watch or you gonna play?¡¦ challenged Vic.

Scott and Logan exchanged a look and a shrug, and got to their feet.

¡¦Jube! You want the runt or the one-eyed sissy boy?!¡¦

¡¦I¡¦ll take Wolvie,¡¦ she declared, getting up off the grass. ¡¦I¡¦m tired of getting my ass kicked here.¡¦

Rogue was assigned full-time guard duties over Creed, and with Jubilee and Wolverine able to bring their old partnership dynamics into play, her team managed to bring the score up from humiliating to merely disgraceful by the time Jean came out to discover what had happened to her husband and announce that lunch was getting cold. She was greeted by the sight of eight exhausted, sweaty, grass-stain-smeared individuals in a dog pile, all struggling after one football.

¡¦All right, children,¡¦ she chided them, bringing the ball winging across the grass to land gently at her feet. ¡¦I said it¡¦s time for lunch.¡¦

Laughing and groaning weakly, they began to sort themselves out. Logan, near the bottom, grunted as someone found his kidney with their elbow. ¡¦You okay, Wolvie?¡¦ inquired Jubilee, from somewhere on top of him.

¡¦I¡¦m fine, darlin¡¦.¡¦

¡¦Hang on a sec,¡¦ she muttered, rolling out from under Cyclops¡¦ legs. For the briefest of moments, her chest brushed his, her sweaty face brushing his chin as she pushed against the ground by his head.

Clambering to her feet, Jubilee offered him her hand and pulled him upright. She had grass in her hair, a fat lip, and a sparkle in her eye. And yet, Logan realized suddenly, she was immensely beautiful. Her hand lingered around his wrist and his around hers; then Bobby chose that moment to toss her retrieved sweatshirt at her. She grabbed it out of the air and used it to dry her face off, murmuring a breathless ¡¦thanks¡¦ as she joined the others headed for the house.

Logan swiped at the faint moisture on his chin, trying his best to clamp down on the traitorous, unsettling emotions. A sudden whiff of womanly scent caught his attention, and he inhaled again the trace of Jubilee caught on the back of his hand. Slightly floral, slightly spicy, and fully rounded, it held the nuances of a woman who¡¦d been working hard. Nowhere in the olfactory spectrum available to him did even a hint of her childish scent remained.

Stunned, he tried once more to isolate a vestige of Jubilee¡¦s childhood signature, but couldn¡¦t. It had changed, still recognizable as his old partner, but now undeniably a woman¡¦s scent.

Ahead of him, Jean fended off her husband, who seemed intent on giving her a sweaty, dirty bear hug. On the steps, Jubilee, Rogue, and the other players jockeyed to be the first in the door, shoving good-naturedly at each other. Shorter than every other X-man, Jubilee still held her own, pushing her way among the crowd.

His footsteps faltered as he reached the edge of the lawn, taking a moment to breathe in the clean autumn air and appreciate the sunlight and, for now, peaceful day. He lifted his shirt and scrubbed the last of Jubilee¡¦s perspiration off his chin, but the friction merely activated the trace scent. Giving in, he inhaled it deliberately and let replay the brief memory of her chest brushing against his. It had been only a brief touch, but in that moment he had been aware of her as he had never before. The concept of her femininity had instantly changed from academic recognition to male appreciation.

¡¦Hey!¡¦ shouted a voice from the house; Jubilee¡¦s head poked out of the door, an exasperated scowl on her face. ¡¦Chow¡¦s on! You eating with us or not?¡¦

¡¦Yeah,¡¦ he replied. ¡¦I¡¦ll be right there.¡¦



*********

~Jubilee.~ Xavier¡¦s mental voice, gentle as it was, still made Jubilee wince as it echoed in her aching head.

~Yo,~ she replied, masking the irritation she felt as she tossed the ruined uniform shirt in the trash. A three-day mission followed by a marathon debriefing with Cyclops had ended only an hour ago. The ibuprofen hadn¡¦t had a chance to kick in yet, and her hair was still dripping after her well- deserved hot shower.

~When you have a moment, please come to my office.~

~Sure,~ she replied. ~Gimme a few minutes.~

The trousers were still salvageable, so draped them over her hamper and made a mental note to take a pretreater to the bloodstains before laundering them. Rubbing her towel gently over her wet locks and sore head, she dragged open her drawers to find something clean to wear downstairs.

Swinging past the medical bay first, Hank assured her Psylocke was sleeping, her broken arm set and the lacerations stitched. ¡¦She¡¦ll be fine, Jubilee,¡¦ Hank insisted. ¡¦As for that hard head of yours, if you find the over-the-counter drugs insufficient, I¡¦ll find you something stronger.¡¦ His concerned eyes peered into hers. ¡¦How you arranged to escape a concussion, I cannot comprehend.¡¦

¡¦You know me, Blue,¡¦ she replied as she rapped her knuckles ¡¦gently ¡¦on her skull. ¡¦Solid rock.¡¦

¡¦Hmmm. A pervasive if less than admirable trait amongst the X-men.¡¦

¡¦You ever think it might just be part of the ¡¦x¡¦ gene?¡¦ she asked, raising one eyebrow.

Hank frowned at her over the top of his glasses. ¡¦That¡¦s not funny.¡¦

¡¦Never said it was,¡¦ she replied with chuckle, waving as she headed for the elevator.

Outside Xavier¡¦s office, she paused long enough to gather her exhausted resources together long enough to scan for psychic signatures behind the door. Sensing Cyclops and Storm as well as Xavier, she raised one hand and knocked quietly.

Scott opened the door, and asked her to come in and have a seat. She chose one of the large, wing-backed, overstuffed chairs facing Xavier¡¦s desk and collapsed with a marked lack of grace.

¡¦What¡¦s up? Something wrong with the Briefing Room?¡¦

¡¦No, Jubilee, everything¡¦s fine. This has no bearing on the mission you and Betsy completed.¡¦

¡¦Umm. Good,¡¦ she commented, snuggling into the soft embrace of the leather.

Xavier gave her a concerned look. ¡¦You look very tired, Jubilee.¡¦

¡¦Hey, nothing a six pack and sixteen hours of sleep can¡¦t cure.¡¦

¡¦This can wait until later, if you¡¦d rather,¡¦ began Scott, but Jubilee cut him off with a gesture.

¡¦Nah, I¡¦m already here. Might as well get it over with.¡¦

¡¦There¡¦s something we wished to discuss with you,¡¦ Xavier began.

¡¦Ohh-kay,¡¦ she replied. ¡¦What did Vic do now?¡¦

¡¦Nothing,¡¦ chuckled Scott. ¡¦He¡¦s actually behaving himself lately. We just wanted to let you know that we're going to realign the teams. Storm is leaving us.¡¦

¡¦Oh my God!¡¦ Jubilee abruptly sat upright. ¡¦No way!¡¦

Storm smiled patiently at the reaction. ¡¦Yes, Jubilee. I¡¦ve been thinking about this for a long time. My heart is no longer in our work, and the burden of leadership has become wearisome. I¡¦m going to Massachusetts, to teach at the Academy. The student body there is expanding, and they need experienced teachers more than ever.¡¦

¡¦Bobby will be taking over as leader of the Gold team,¡¦ Scott supplied. I asked him yesterday, and he agreed.¡¦

Jubilee nodded thoughtfully. ¡¦Drake¡¦s a good choice. Does Rogue know yet?¡¦

¡¦Rogue is going to Snow Valley as well,¡¦ Storm supplied quietly.

¡¦Ah,¡¦ Jubilee said, which said it all. The tempestuous relationship between the Cajun thief and his lady had recently soured yet again, and the bitter words between them had been worse than ever before. This time, there had been little hope of reconciliation, and Rogue leaving the mansion seemed to confirm it.

¡¦I¡¦ve been in contact with Sean," Cyclops continued. "He¡¦s got a candidate from Scotland who sounds very promising for recruiting. I¡¦m flying out in the next few days to talk to him.¡¦

¡¦Cool. So which team am I gonna be on?¡¦

¡¦Actually, that¡¦s what we wanted to discuss.¡¦ Scott looked at Xavier again, and the older man rearranged some papers on his desk as he picked up the conversation.

"You've been on over three dozen missions in this last six months, Jubilee. Your performance has been extraordinary, far beyond even our highest expectations. Not only in the field, but in gathering and interpretation of intelligence reports¡¦ Scott told me it was your idea to use the portable Cerebro unit to assess anti-mutant hostility first-hand, outside of media reports. It was an excellent suggestion. Frankly, it¡¦s something I wish I¡¦d thought of years ago.¡¦

Jubilee rubbed at the lump on the side of her head. ¡¦All right, you two are making me nervous. Just cut to the chase.¡¦

Scott opened his mouth, then decided on another approach. ¡¦Jubilee, what did they call your army, on Pagnotalia?¡¦

¡¦Hearth,¡¦ she corrected. ¡¦That was what the Shi¡¦ar named the planet. The natives called it Hearth. As in, hearth and home, ya know?"

¡¦And what did they call you, on Hearth?¡¦ he pressed.

She regarded him steadily, then answered. ¡¦Legion. They called us Lee¡¦s Legion.¡¦

Xavier and Scott exchanged a look, and Xavier nodded. ¡¦Legion. How appropriate."

Scott leaned on the edge of Xavier's desk, his arms crossed. "Jubilee, we want to form a third team of the X-men, and we want you to lead it. Bishop and Gambit will report to you, and Sabretooth, if he¡¦s willing. Eventually we'll add Tweed when you feel he's ready. He may not be a mutant, but he's taken to this kind of work, and he's got the knack for hardware. Frankly, I'd rather have him with us than let S.H.I.E.L.D. or a similar group get hold of him. We¡¦ll add more members to your team as they¡¦re recruited."

Only the faint drumming of Xavier's right thumb on the desktop gave away his tension, but it was enough. "What happened?" Jubilee asked quietly. "You're expanding the teams, but if you're allowing two Alpha mutants to go to the school, you're really worried, and not about some immediate threat."

Cyclops stiffened, then released his tension in a rush of breath. "It hasn't hit the news media yet, but the Yugoslav Republic just voted to dissolve into three separate nations. Apparently, they've been planning this for some time; the Republic of Croatia and the Slavic Union have both voted in a manifesto and a constitution. It includes strict provisions for Muslims, Christians, sexual deviants¡¦"

"and mutants," Jubilee finished for him.

He nodded. "X-Factor's hitting the air in the next hour to evacuate any known mutants who wish to leave. We're hoping to get them out before any rioting starts, but it doesn't look good."

"I don't want to mislead you, Jubilee," Xavier said in a grave voice. "If many of the former Soviet republics follow suit, we could very soon see a polarization of society, where what you are is more relevant than who you are. That kind of stratification could quickly carry over into other countries, especially in the Middle East. Mutant free zones and mutant ghettos are sure to follow. If Israel and her surrounding countries are any indication of the amount of friction hard core segregation can cause¡¦ this could be the moment in history we can point to and say ¡¦this is when it all began.¡¦¡¦

¡¦And I don¡¦t want to mislead you, Professor,¡¦ Jubilee retorted. She realized that fatigue was making her reckless, but no one had ever accused her of being overly discreet. ¡¦I was a history major, remember? The Jewish ghettos at the beginning of the Second World War are just another example. Let¡¦s not forget the Hutus and Tutsis. If mutants are herded into prison camps and not allowed the freedom of movement to leave a country where they¡¦re mistreated¡¦ it¡¦s going to get very ugly. We - I will not allow a mutant Auschwitz to occur. Do you understand that?¡¦

Faded grey eyes met intense blue ones, and Xavier opened his mind to Jubilee. For an instant their wills clashed before the two psyches settled and met in a neutral middle ground. Here, Xavier was a towering obelisk of power, the strength of his talent a roiling, oppressive blanket. Scott, left out of the confrontation, still felt the hair on his arms rise with the energy swirling through the room.

~Cyclops asked you this once. Now I ask you again. Do you still believe, Jubilation Lee? Do you still believe X-men do not kill?~

Standing in the wind of Xavier¡¦s power, Jubilee was a small but solid block, unmoving in the gale. Stubbornness had ever been the hallmark of her personality, and it had only grown as she¡¦d matured. ~Yes. I believe that X-men should not kill. Neither should humans. I will do all I can to prevent bloodshed, Professor. But I will not allow another war where one class of a people slaughter another class of people because they can.~

A memory came out of Jubilee¡¦s mind, one carefully buried, of she and her warriors picking their way through a village that had been utterly destroyed by the enemy. Every living thing, from the oldest men to a basket of week-old freyyas, a domesticated lizard kept as a pet and filling the same niche as the common house cat, had been deliberately killed and left lying in the streets. The carnage physically revolted her; inside, a small portion of her soul hardened to a diamond edge.

~I will not let this happen to mutants,~ she insisted. ~I won¡¦t allow it.~

Endless time passed on the psychic plane as Xavier probed at Jubilee¡¦s resolve and determination. Eventually, he withdrew, his aura folding itself down into his body like wings settling on an eagle's back. He gazed at his youngest X-man, and she met his eyes steadily.

¡¦I understand,¡¦ Xavier admitted aloud. ¡¦Hopefully, that will never happen. If fate ever takes us in that direction¡¦ I pray we will part as friends.¡¦

"Thank you,¡¦ Jubilee said quietly. ¡¦I accept your offer. And I¡¦ll let you know if I ever feel we need to talk about this again.¡¦

¡¦Agreed.¡¦

Jubilee nodded and turned to Cyclops. ¡¦Are you expecting Bobby and me to go to Ireland with you to talk to this guy?¡¦

With a psychic wife, Cyclops had some idea of what might have passed between Xavier and Jubilee, and decided to leave it alone. ¡¦Yes. Day after tomorrow, if things work out.¡¦

¡¦You¡¦re the boss,¡¦ she tossed off. Xavier smiled at her choice of words. ¡¦I guess I¡¦d better pack.¡¦ She staggered slightly as she regained her feet.

¡¦Get some rest, Jubilee. We can discuss the details of your new position later.¡¦

¡¦Thanks,¡¦ she replied. As an afterthought, she held out her hand to Scott. He took it in his and gave it a firm shake. Oddly formal, it seemed to cement the new status between them.

Outside Xavier¡¦s office, Jubilee had taken only a few steps towards the stairs and back towards her room when Creed stomped past her without a word and disappeared out the front door. The resounding slam made her wince.

She gave the stairs a longing glance and a theatrical sigh before she followed in his wake. When she found him sitting on the steps, furiously lighting a cigar, she plopped down beside him unceremoniously and burrowed against his side to keep out of the keen autumn breeze. They sat silently for some time, Vic apparently doing his best to ignore her.

¡¦So,¡¦ she said finally. ¡¦You gonna talk to me or I gotta twist your ears to make you say uncle?¡¦

Creed growled half-heartedly. ¡¦I gotta get out of here. I can¡¦t turn around in this place without runnin¡¦ into somebody.¡¦

¡¦Okay,¡¦ she agreed, tucking her fingers under her armpits.

¡¦Okay?¡¦ he growled back. ¡¦Ain¡¦t ya gonna try and talk me out of leaving? Try to give me some sob story about us being a family?¡¦

¡¦Vic, I¡¦m so damned tired right now I couldn¡¦t work up the effort to spit. If you want to go back to being a globe-trotting psychopath, I¡¦m not gonna stop you.¡¦ She burrowed against his side again, resting her head against his bicep, and apparently dismissed their entire conversation.

Finally one massive shoulder shrugged. ¡¦Old life seems kinda dull.¡¦

Jubilee let him sit and stew for another minute. ¡¦How far you going?¡¦ she asked. He gave her a look. ¡¦¡¦Cause, ya know, I could still use your help now and then.¡¦

"Yer fulla shit, Lee."

"No, I¡¦m not, Vic. You know I¡¦ve never lied to you.¡¦ Her offhand tone sobered as she looked out over the yard where they¡¦d played football just a few weeks ago. "I just talked to the Professor. Cyke an¡¦ him are talking about doing some more recruiting.¡¦

A low, half-hearted growl rumbled in his chest. ¡¦Last thing this place needs is more people. I got a better idea. Why don¡¦t we just leave these assholes and bug out entirely?¡¦

¡¦I don¡¦t think so. I kinda like this job. And we may need a bolt-hole, with some sort of support and intelligence framework. You know how I feel about having our asses hanging out in the wind.¡¦

Creed grunted in acknowledgement. Jubilee¡¦s insistence on backup plans had been a bone of contention between herself and her captains on more than one occasion, and a brilliantly executed raid without contingency planning was more likely to get stripes torn out of your hide than a disaster averted by a pre-planned alternative.

¡¦Lemme ask you something,¡¦ he said quietly, flicking ashes onto the steps. Only someone who knew Victor Creed intimately would have caught the faint unease in his voice.

¡¦Shoot.¡¦

¡¦What would you have done if Baldie wouldn¡¦t have let me and Tweed and the others stick around here?¡¦

¡¦I had an ace in the hole.¡¦

¡¦Yeah?¡¦

She nodded energetically, the brisk breeze was turning her cheeks pink. ¡¦You remember Emma Frost?"

"Blonde bitch. What about her?"

"Well, my dad, he was an investment banker. Turns out he was investing for clients who weren't actually showing up on his company's files. Some of them were what you might call 'after-hours' clients.¡¦

"Gotcha. What¡¦s that got to do with Frost?"

"Gimme a sec. Dad lost everything in one of the stock market crashes. And he lost money that he wasn't supposed to be playing with, he was just supposed to be processing."

"Laundering, ya mean."

"Tomato, tomahto. So, what's the best tax dodge any accountant ever came up with?"

Vic puffed on his cigar for a moment. "Puttin' it in their kids' names."

"Exactly. So, my dad has all these investments, some of them in my name. And although most of them were dogs, a few of them weren't. Frostie dug them all up. Social Services and all that looked into it when my parents were killed, but they weren't as.. tenacious as she was." Jubilee made a face. "I was pretty furious at first. I figured it was none of her business, and barely spoke to her for months. But, in the end, she was right. Money is money, and it always comes in handy."

"So how much we talking about, here?"

"Roughly.... Three and half, maybe four mil. Maybe more, by now."

"Huh. Not bad. 'Course, it's a drop in the bucket when ya compare it to Baldie. Shit, I think I've got more than that, if I could remember where the fuck it is."

"It's still my ace in the hole."

"Some ace.¡¦

¡¦Anyway, you never know what could happen in the next couple of years. Word is, it¡¦s getting really weird over in Europe.¡¦ Jubilee chewed on her lip thoughtfully. ¡¦I could use someone to watch my back on occasion, especially if I ever do decide to bug out."

He considered it. ¡¦Guess I could stay in the area.¡¦

¡¦That¡¦d be cool.¡¦

Shivering, Jubilee wrapped her arms around her legs again. ¡¦You know, there¡¦s this real estate office in downtown Salem Center. Has this totally bitchin¡¦ ramp and railing combo for skateboarders and bladers. But the dude who owns it was real anal probe material. He used to yell at me all the time for hanging around.¡¦

An evil glint kindled in Jubilee¡¦s smile. ¡¦What do you say we go get him to show us some properties around here. I figure I owe him, oh, about as much sheer hell and abject terror as the two of us can give him until we find you a place to crash.¡¦

Creed¡¦s canines glinted with answering malice. ¡¦Could be fun.¡¦ He stuck his cigar in the corner of his mouth and gave her a hand up, nearly hauling her right off the ground.

¡¦One condition, though,¡¦ she added as she regained her balance.

¡¦What?¡¦ he replied, suspicious.

¡¦You gotta save me crash space on the sofa or something. We¡¦ve already got a dozen people living in this place, dude. Scott gets his way, there won¡¦t be enough room to swing a cat around here.¡¦

Creed chuckled. ¡¦You ever actually tried to swing a cat?¡¦

¡¦Um, no.¡¦

He slung his arm over her shoulder, casually keeping her steady even as he knocked her off balance yet again. ¡¦Not as easy as it sounds.¡¦