Penance and New Beginnings: Chapters 6

by Verthri

 Jubilee sat in her room, staring out the bay window at the Westchester Estate, lost in thought.  Upon arriving back at the mansion, she had avoided all but Bobby and Ororo, finding excuses to leave whenever the others had approached her.  Logan had disappeared on yet another sudden trip, though she had been told he was on his way back on the next flight from Madripoor.  For the first time in the longest, she dreaded this meeting with her mentor, knowing his reaction to the news she would have to tell the others soon. 

A quiet knocking drew Jubilee¡¦s attention away from the window, to her doorway where Jake stood.  Giving him a small smile, she waved him over to the window to sit with her.

¡¦So¡¦what do you think of the X-men¡¦¡¦ Jubilee asked quietly.

¡¦I don¡¦t know what I am supposed to think.  They just seem like everyday people, yet the media paints them as hero¡¦s or terrorists.¡¦ Jake said, taking Jubilee in his arms and resting his head on her shoulder.

¡¦Yup, pretty much the case.  Known them since I was thirteen.  Took a guy by the name of Gateway¡¦s portal to Australia from the West Hollywood Mall I was calling home at the time.  Been with them ever since up until I went to learn more about my powers at the Massachusetts Academy with Gen X.¡¦ Jubilee remarked as she looked back out the window.

¡¦Then why are you so glum.¡¦ Jake asked, giving a quick kiss to her cheek.

¡¦Just trying to figure out how to explain to them what happened¡¦and also figuring out what I¡¦m going to say to Logan about Vic¡¦¡¦ Jubilee replied with a sigh.

¡¦Be blunt¡¦if you mean as much to them as I think you do¡¦they¡¦ll understand and be there for you.¡¦ Jake whispered into Jubilee¡¦s ear as he slid from her side and stood up.

¡¦Where ya going?¡¦ Jubilee inquired, looking up to Jake.

¡¦Got an appointment with Dr. McCoy.  He wants to do some tests on my mutation as well as show me around the lab.  When he heard of my studies, we hit it off.¡¦ Jake replied with a smile.

¡¦Good Ol¡¦ Hank. Just be sure not to pick up that nasty habit of hiding in the lab for weeks on end from him, or I¡¦ll have to have some words with him.¡¦ Jubilee said with a chuckle, some of her gloom relieved.

¡¦Sure thing.  I don¡¦t think I could hold up in a lab like that, too much in the world to enjoy.  I¡¦ll come back when I¡¦m done, love you.¡¦ Jake said as he neared and gave Jubilee a kiss on the head.

¡¦Love you too my Shining Knight.  If I¡¦m not here I might be in the Danger Room working with one of my old scenarios.¡¦ Jubilee replied as she smiled up to Jake.

¡¦K.  See ya soon.¡¦ Jake said with a wave as he left.

Jubilee let out a sigh after he had left, and returned to looking out the window, keeping an eye on Clarice as she painted a landscape of the woods behind the mansion.

Elsewhere in the mansion, Bishop and Victor were sitting in the security room, keeping an eye on the daily activities of the mansion, and a watchful eye for any breaches of the security grid.

¡¦This place has your scent all over it.  Ya spend most of yer time here pup?¡¦ Victor asked as he took a sniff of the room.

¡¦Indeed.  Xavier has entrusted me with the security of the mansion, and it is a duty I am honored to fulfill.¡¦ Bishop remarked as he ran a diagnostic of the camera system.

¡¦Ah.¡¦ Victor replied, and then stared off into a camera with a look in his eyes as if he was toiling with a dilemma.

¡¦Something on your mind Victor?¡¦ Bishop inquired, looking to the older man.

¡¦Lee has mentioned the Morlock tunnel¡¦s at least twice.  What happened down there?¡¦ Victor asked as he met Bishop¡¦s gaze.

Bishop let out a sigh and then looked to the roof.

¡¦To understand that, let me tell you about Logan and Jubilee¡¦s relationship first.¡¦ Bishop started.

¡¦Logan had a run in with a band of Cyborg¡¦s in the X-men¡¦s Australia base.  They captured him and staked him to a cross, torturing him.  Jubilee had found her way to that base thanks to Gateway.  One storm ridden night, Logan found the last of his strength and broke free of the cross.  Though he would have died had not Jubilee taken him in and nursed him back to health.  Fleeing the base, he took her to Madripoor where they grew on one another.  He told me once that she was the reason he even bothered to live for that period of time.¡¦ Bishop explained, pausing a moment to check the video screens.

¡¦So, what¡¦re they?  Like father and daughter?¡¦ Victor asked.

¡¦More than that.  They¡¦re each other¡¦s better half, partners to the end, keeping each other in check.  Jubilee has kept Logan human, and was never afraid of him when he almost became a beast.  Logan in turn kept Jubilee innocent, guiding her and teaching her, beyond survival, survival of her soul and the spark that endears her to most people.  She¡¦s faced more hardships that anyone her age should have, but he¡¦s helped her through them and not do anything she would have regretted.¡¦ Bishop said with a respect in his tone.

Victor paused, taking a calming breath as his memories of Blink returned to him, his Jubilee.  She had been his lifeline after holocaust, and he had done the same that Logan had done for Jubilee.

¡¦Fate works in weird ways.¡¦ Victor whispered to himself, though it did not go unnoticed by Bishop.

¡¦How that relates to the tunnels, is just before it, there had been a battle with Magneto, a battle in which Wolverine lost it and attacked him.  In a moment of rage, Magneto did something unforgivable.  He pulled the very Adamantium bonded to Logan out of his flesh.  The pain must have been unbearable.  But he survived.  But as the proud man he is, he left after it, feeling useless to the team, leaving Jubilee to our care and here alone.¡¦ Bishop explained to Victor.

¡¦I have a feeling I ain¡¦t gonna like what I hear next.¡¦ Victor said in a somber tone.

¡¦Hank had been working on the Shi¡¦ar power core of the mansion when it went down, and with it the security grid.  Your counterpart was here, locked up so that Charles could in vain try to cure him of his bloodlust.  He escaped.  He found Jubilee and caught her, though she did fight back, it was futile.  I saved her from him, though he escaped in the confusion.  When I suggested breaking up to search for him, Jubilee panicked, breaking down and crying as she clutched to me.¡¦ Bishop remarked as he took another check on the screens.

¡¦Without Logan she felt alone and vulnerable¡¦¡¦ Victor replied.

¡¦Indeed.  The invincible bravado she had used to survive her time on the streets and life with the X-men to that point fell, and she reacted as the child she was.¡¦ Bishop added.

¡¦We became separated though, and I had tracked him to the Morlock tunnels.  A drop of blood and years of training saved my life for the moment, for he had hid himself up on the ceiling.  I had blasted him and drained the last of my biocharge, and in the resulting brawl he got the upper hand.  Though just as he took his pleasure in calling my bluff, Jubilee hit him with a taser she found in a security locker, saving my life.¡¦ Bishop finished, taking in a deep breath to regain his rock hard composure.

The two men sat in silence from that point on, until Rouge came to relieve Bishop from his security detail.  Slowly they left, their thoughts weighted heavy by their conversation.  Victor could only now feel apprehension at the return of Logan, and an understanding of the scent of fear Jubilee had radiated on their trip to the mansion.

¡¦How¡¦re ya gonna tell Logan about me?¡¦ Victor finally asked as they walked into the kitchen.

¡¦I¡¦ll leave that to Jubilee.  If anyone can knock some sense into his thick skull, it¡¦s her.  As I said, one another¡¦s better halves.¡¦ Bishop remarked with a rare chuckle, which Victor joined in.

In the observation booth, a lithe figure watched over Jubilee as she worked in a scenario she hadn¡¦t used in years.  The Danger Room was now a gym with parallel bars and other gymnastic equipment.  Jubilee was working herself to exhaustion, locked in the routines she hadn¡¦t practiced since childhood.  She let herself become lost to it, letting her body react on instinct and the reflexes her muscles knew.  Her mind was in another place, struggling with the thoughts that plagued her about the confrontation with Logan upon his return.

The groan of the steel door of the observation booth caused Remy to turn around and see who was joining him.  To his surprise, Ororo slowly walked into the room and joined him at his side, her eyes focused on Jubilee.

¡¦How long has she been doing this?¡¦ Ororo inquired, noticing the sheen of sweat on Jubilee.

¡¦An hour with no break.¡¦ Remy replied, returning his attention to Jubilee.

¡¦Have you ever seen her like this before?¡¦ Ororo asked with concern clear in her voice.

¡¦Once, after Creed was locked up back in de basement after his escape.  Before de whole Phalanx mess.¡¦ Remy replied, letting out a sigh before he sat down on the chair by the control panel.

¡¦And you did not think it wise to tell anyone?¡¦ Ororo asked, looking down to the thief that had found her all those years ago.

¡¦Oui.  De P¡¦tite needs to work t¡¦ings out in her own way.  We all do at times.  You do your gardening.  Logan get in fights at de Auger inn, Hank broods in his lab.  Do you question des t¡¦ings when you and dem do it?  Den why do you t¡¦ink it be wrong for her to work herself to exhaustion if she wants to?¡¦ Remy asked, looking up to Ororo.

¡¦Because she can hurt herself.¡¦ Ororo stated.

¡¦Oui, and de P¡¦tite can hurt herself when she go blading, or when she goes out and walks down de street.  Life be a game of chance, Gambit know dis well, non?¡¦ Remy replied before returning his gaze to the gym below.

Ororo let out a sigh, slowly letting the truth of the argument in.

¡¦Just be sure to watch her carefully.¡¦ Ororo said to Remy before she started to leave.

¡¦Stormy?¡¦ Remy asked, noticing Ororo stopping at the nickname Remy had for her.

¡¦Yes Remy?¡¦ Storm inquired.

¡¦You hear when Logan be coming home?¡¦ Remy asked.

¡¦Yes, his plane should arrive within the next two hours, and then he should be home within an hour after that.¡¦ Ororo replied, turning to look to Remy.

¡¦Ah.  T¡¦ank you Stormy.  Now leave Remy to watching de P¡¦tite.¡¦ Remy remarked with a hint of mischief to his voice, hiding the concern he felt for the return of Logan.

¡¦Your welcome.¡¦ Ororo replied softly before leaving, with the groan of the doors echoing in the room after she had left.

¡¦Remy be t¡¦ankful you don¡¦t take after your Papa Logan in trying to deal wit des t¡¦ings.¡¦ Remy remarked idly to himself, keeping a watchful eye as Jubilee finished her last set, landing gracefully to the ground.

Back on the floor, Jubilee walked to the control panel and ended the scenario.  In a hazy wave, the gym vanished, leaving a cold black room in its stead.  Looking up to the observation booth, Jubilee gave a smirk as she spotted Remy still sitting up there.

¡¦Hey Gumbo, you want to go out for a burger?¡¦ Jubilee asked as she tapped the intercom button on the control panel.

¡¦Oui, you go get changed, Remy be waiting out front for you.¡¦ The digitized voice of Remy replied over the intercom.

¡¦Fine by me.¡¦ Jubilee replied and then released the button before exiting the Danger Room to head off for the showers and her clothing.

Twenty minutes later, Jubilee walked out the main doors of the mansion in jeans, a sweatshirt and her now ever present trench coat.  Remy stood leaning against his bike, smoking a cigarette as he chatted with Jake.

¡¦No, you can¡¦t have one.¡¦ Jubilee chuckled as she wrapped her arms around her boyfriend and gave him a kiss.

¡¦But mom!¡¦ Jake retorted with a chuckle.

¡¦Hey, you can turn into all sorts of animals, just go turn into a hawk if you want to fly.  Us earthbound mortals have to make due, and with the kinda guys I know and their hogs, I¡¦m not having any of that recklessness wearing off on you.¡¦ Jubilee remarked as she gave Jake a hug and then walked over to the bike.

¡¦You don¡¦t need to worry about me, I¡¦m not a motorbike fan, more of a sports car fan myself.  Speaking of which, I think I saw a Miata in the garage.¡¦ Jake replied.

¡¦That¡¦s Rogue¡¦s.  Go give her a shout, I¡¦m sure she¡¦d take you for a ride, though I warn ya now, she can be as bad as Gumbo here or Wolvie.  Take a barf bag along for the ride.¡¦ Jubilee said as she climbed onto the bike.

¡¦Cool.  You two take care now.  I know I don¡¦t need to worry about Lee, though I don¡¦t know about you Remy.¡¦ Jake said with a wry grin as he mocked the Cajun.

¡¦Remy can take care of himself.  And de P¡¦tite be de one Remy ¡¦as always ¡¦ad to worry about before.¡¦ Remy retorted as he climbed onto the bike, starting it up and revving the engine.

¡¦Gun it Gumbo!¡¦ Jubilee yelled from the back of the bike, and soon Jake was left in a cloud of dust as the two tore off.

The silence of the road was broken by the noise of Remy¡¦s Harley tearing down the pavement, leaving in its wake a flurry of leaves and dust.  Jubilee let herself enjoy the feeling of the wind in her hair and the exhilaration at traveling so fast.  They traveled along with only the noise of the bike breaking the silence, with Jubilee letting herself forget her troubles, while Remy worried at what was troubling her.  After a half hour, the golden arches finally rose over the horizon, and Remy slowed down as he pulled into the parking lot.

Jubilee ordered herself a meal, while Remy being content with a cup of the excuse they called coffee.  Finding a picnic away from the restaurant, they sat down and stared at the cars going by on the road.

¡¦Thanks Gumbo.  I needed to get out of the mansion for a bit.¡¦ Jubilee said, giving a genuine smile to Remy.

¡¦More den welcome P¡¦tite.¡¦ Remy replied, setting his coffee cup down and sliding closer to Jubilee.

¡¦So, you want to tell Remy what¡¦s bothering you?  If not, Remy understand.¡¦ He then added.

Jubilee looked up to him, her eyes peering into his own devil eyes, as if looking for a sliver of hope to hold onto.  Letting out a sigh, she broke away and shook her head.

¡¦Not yet Gumbo.  Not that I don¡¦t appreciate it, god knows your one person who I trust with the deep stuff, but I¡¦m just not ready to tell this yet.¡¦ Jubilee said slowly as she reached out and gave Remy a pat on the hand.

Remy looked down to Jubilee, a smile falling across his face and a warm look in his eyes.

¡¦As Remy say, he understand.  I be honored you hold me as one you can confide in.  Dat means a lot to Remy.  Merci P¡¦tite.¡¦ Remy said to Jubilee as he drew her into a hug.

¡¦Hey, out of all the X-men, your one of the people who I can relate with.  I mean I know a lot of them had rough starts, but, well¡¦they just take life to serious at times, and not serious enough at others.  You know the cards dealt to you and you play that hand.  You don¡¦t run from it like Logan, or overcompensate like Scott.  You just ride with it.¡¦ Jubilee replied as she returned the hug with full force.

¡¦Eh?  Dat be de reason you t¡¦ink Scott have de stick up der?¡¦ Remy asked with a chuckle.

¡¦Yeah.  I mean he¡¦s a good guy, he just¡¦he¡¦s too fearful of loosing control or loosing anyone.  He overcompensates by being a tightass. And Logan, he can face down anything, from Sentinel¡¦s to Apocalypse himself, but the moment a little emotional trouble hits, he hits the road running scared.  He¡¦s scared of letting anyone getting too close to him.  I thought I was one of the few he would let get close, up until Magneto¡¦Mag¡¦.¡¦ Jubilee began, only to trail off as her voice grew too quiet to hear.

Remy pulled Jubilee closer to himself, hugging her tightly.

¡¦Shh, don worry P¡¦tite.  Remy know what you mean.¡¦ He whispered.

Jubilee melted into the warm embrace, hugging him even tighter for a few minutes while she fought to regain her composure.  Finally as she drew away, she looked up to Remy with her eyes glistening with unshed tears and her nose sniffling.

¡¦Thanks Gumbo.  I needed that¡¦¡¦ Jubilee said, taking in a calming breath as she forced away the tears.

¡¦If you ever need anyone to talk to, Remy be der for you Jubilee¡¦¡¦ Remy said, using her real name rather than the pet name he had for her.

Jubilee smiled at him and nodded slowly.  Finishing off her last swallow of her shake, she picked up her trash and threw it out.

¡¦C¡¦mon Gumbo.  Lets get back to the mansion, Jake is probably going to need help getting out of that Miata with the way Rogue drives.¡¦ Jubilee said as she headed of to the bike, with Remy on her heels a moment later.

Back at the mansion, Rogue pulled into the mansion and parked right out front, slamming on the breaks and sending Jake flying out of his seat a bit.

¡¦There ya go Sugah, that trick always gets a person outta their seat after a joyride.¡¦ Rogue remarked with a chuckle as she turned off the engine and hopped out of the car.

¡¦Ms. Rogue¡¦umm¡¦Thanks for the ride¡¦I think I¡¦ll go lay down now¡¦¡¦ Jake stuttered out as he stumbled out of the car, thankful for terra firma underneath him.

With the sound of a Harley pulling into the drive way, Jake cast a glance towards it and quickly stood up.

¡¦Jubilee!  Hey!¡¦ Jake yelled, giving a wave, though once the bike pulled up, he realized that there was only one person on it, and it wasn¡¦t either Jubilee or Gambit.

Logan took a sniff and gave a snort.

¡¦Who¡¦s the kid Rogue?¡¦ Logan asked as he shut off his bike and got off.

Jake was about to reply, stating that he was Jubilee¡¦s boyfriend, until he got a step on the foot by Rogue.

¡¦Oh, just a friend of Jubilee¡¦s from Canada.  She was visiting up there.¡¦ Rogue said, casting a glance to Jake that any man knew to keep quiet at.

¡¦Ah, pleased ta meet ya bub.  Here, give a hand with my bag why don¡¦t ya?¡¦ Logan remarked as he threw his duffle to Jake, sending Jake flying to the ground.

Logan gave a chuckle as he looked to Jake on the ground, but then stopped as Jake morphed into a tiger and picked up the duffle in his mouth, purring in amusement at the look on Logan¡¦s face.

¡¦Neat trick kid.¡¦ Logan said with a tad bit of respect in his tone.

¡¦C¡¦mon, I¡¦ll show ya where to drop it off.¡¦ Logan remarked as he pulled his saddle bag off and threw it on Jakes back.

With that, Logan and Jake disappeared into the mansion.  Rogue gave a smile at the sight, and then turned her head as she heard yet another Harley pulling into the driveway.  Remy and Jubilee pulled up right next to her, and Jubilee gave a concerned look to Rogue.

¡¦He still alive or did Logan go off to bury the body?¡¦ Jubilee asked with only half a bit of mirth to her voice.

¡¦He¡¦s alive and well, and he even impressed Logan as he morphed into a tiger and carried his bags into the house.¡¦ Rogue informed with a giggle.

¡¦Ah, good.  I better get in before a wind carries my scent into the house and he goes ballistic trying to find me.¡¦ Jubilee said as she jumped off the bike, and after giving Remy a quick hug, ran into the house.

Rogue turned back to Remy with a more serious look on her face.

¡¦How is she?¡¦ Rogue asked Remy.

¡¦We talked a bit.  She have somet¡¦ing weighing on her, but she not be ready to say what it is.¡¦ Remy remarked as he climbed off his bike and gave Rogue a hug.

¡¦You think she¡¦ll be okay?¡¦ Rogue asked as she gently pulled back from Remy.

¡¦Jubilee be a strong girl.  Dat be something dat de X-men or Logan didn¡¦t teach her, just part of her.  She¡¦ll be okay, t¡¦ough be de time between now and den dat she¡¦ll need de help with.¡¦ Remy explained as he wrapped his arm around Rogues waist and started walking into the mansion.

Jubilee had just gotten half way to Logan¡¦s room when she heard what sounded to be a fight.  Running to the back porch, she saw Bishop holding Logan back, while Victor stood his ground.

¡¦Let go of me Bishop!  That¡¦s Creed!  What the heck is Creed doing here?¡¦ Logan roared as he tried to pull free of Bishop, though in vain for Bishop had Logan¡¦s center of gravity off balance with the hold.

¡¦Logan!  Listen for a minute dammit!  It¡¦s not him!  Trust me!¡¦ Bishop yelled, but with a sudden buck of Logan, came stumbling back as Logan ripped free.

The familiar ¡¦Snikit¡¦ was heard as Logan popped his claws and ran at Victor, who in return only fell into a defensive stance as he readied to throw Logan away.  Just as Logan lunged at Victor, the other X-men burst through the doorway and yelled for him to stop.  But that was not needed, as Jubilee jumped in front of Logan, and with a sickening crack of metal hitting metal, slammed her fist into Logan¡¦s jaw, knocking him to the ground.

The combined X-men stood in awe at what had just transpired, while Logan looked up to Jubilee in confusion, staring at her fist, which had been torn open when it slid across Logan¡¦s teeth.  His anger vanished as he jumped to her side and took her hand, looking at it as he ripped a piece of his shirt and started to wrap it on the wound.

¡¦Hank!  Get a first aid kit dammit!¡¦ Logan yelled, focused on Jubilee¡¦s hand.

Hank ran to the duty that Logan had just given him, while the other X-men hesitantly approached the scene.  Victor walked over to Bishop and helped him to his feet, and then the too stood and watched as they waited for the revelation to be revealed to the X-men.  Jubilee carefully pried Logan¡¦s hand away from her wrist, and with a hiss, pulled back the cloth to reveal the crackling scabs on her knuckles.  There was a collective gasp at the sigh, and dead silence after Jubilee flexed her hand, sending the scabs drifting into the wind, revealing healed flesh underneath.

¡¦He¡¦s not our Victor Creed.¡¦ Jubilee said in a flat voice as she looked up to Logan, staring him in the eyes, letting him see the truth of the matter.

Logan stared into her eyes as if he were staring at the heaven¡¦s, lost at their vastness, and finally pulled away as he looked back down to the hand.

¡¦How¡¦¡¦ Logan asked weakly.

Jubilee took in a shuddering breath, fighting tears at having to tell the man she held as mentor and father, of what had happened to her, only to fail as glistening tears fell down her cheeks.  Logan pulled her into a hug, his rage totally given way to the pain of seeing the closest he had to a daughter, in tears.

¡¦Weapon X¡¦¡¦ Bishop remarked quietly, looking to Logan.

¡¦If ya run from the pup runt, I¡¦ll find a way to break those legs of yours so ya can¡¦t.¡¦ Victor added with a dead serious tone to his voice.

The rage returned and thrashed with the pain and grief Logan was feeling with the few words spoken, until finally he collapsed to his knees and pulled Jubilee tightly to himself.  With that show of compassion, Jubilee finally broke down as the fear of this moment washed over her like a deluge, and the X-men that surrounded them could only wonder at what had happened to their firecracker.