When Stars Collide: Chapters 3-4

by Snowviolet

Jubilee started to pull the energy towards her body, but noticed a movement in the shadows of the quickly darkening solarium.

"Dr. Lee! There you are, I've been looking all over for you."

A long-limbed beauty stepped from the shadows, towering over her. Jubilee smiled genuinely as she recognized her as Dr. Misha Patrova. They often attended the same conferences, and had struck up camaraderie in their boredom during an outdated physics lectures one day. Jubilee had even stayed with her while visiting St. Petersburg last winter. Misha had showed her the sights, taking her shopping and introducing her to her daughter Katrina.

Widowed at a young age when her husband had died from leukemia, she was both a beautiful and brilliant physicist. Tall and slender, she had long- lashed green eyes, and her long platinum blond hair gave her an exotic look. Currently she was working on sound wave theories, and often corresponded with Jubilee about her work.

"Please, Misha, call me Jubilee. I insist. We've known each other too long to be so professional."

"Dah, Jubilee. Fender Industries is having a huge party tonight at the Jazz Baby nightclub downtown. Dinner, drinks, I heard they even paid a fortune to have some Cirque de Soleil performers provide entertainment. Not to mention it's the best jazz club in Paris!" Misha's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"I even managed to get a sitter for Katrina through the hotel. You simply have to come with me! Did you see those physicists from Venezuela?!" Misha whistled appreciatively with a wide grin.

Jubilee had barely inhaled to respond that she had other plans, when she felt a sense of unease wash over her. ~Is this what it feels like to have a Spidey sense?~ Jubilee smiled wryly to herself. ~Yeah, yeah I get the hint. Time for a night on the town, evidentally.~

"Sounds like fun! I could use a some relaxation after listening to McBennet's lecture." Jubilee wrinkled her nose. "How about I throw on something a lil' more appropriate and meet you down in the lobby at eight?"

"Wonderful! I'll meet you near the front desk then." Spinning around quickly, Misha flitted from the room with an excited bounce in her step.

~Grrrrr, I hate being led around by fate.~ Jubilee marched back to her suite feeling disgruntled. ~Don't forget you're doing this for Logan, Lee. You don't have to like it, as long as it gets results.~

* * * * * Jubilee stepped into the main room of the nightclub, and surveyed the room with an eye trained to take in details. A well-camouflaged smoke machine pumped out a scentless fog over the room, and the dim lights gave it a romantic feel. All of the employees were dressed in clothing from the 1920's era, from the tuxedoed servers to the scantily clad cigarette cuties.

~Chicago eat your heart out.~ Jubilee thought dryly to herself.

Near the stage a jazz band played a tune of yesteryear, led by the tinkling of a pianist at the forefront. Hanging from the rafters of the high ceiling were long velvet ropes to either side of the stage. Two exotic beauties swung and twirled in unison over the crowd, giving the nightclub a celebratory mood.

Being a theme nightclub, the patrons were encouraged to wear period costumes. Given the popularity of the spot, and the waiting line around the block, most were happy to comply. Indeed, there was even a rental shop in the vestibule open at all hours for corporate parties such as the one she was attending. Jubilee had called earlier in the afternoon to have a costume sent to her room, and was surprised at the quality of the clothes.

As she entered the room, she received more than a few stares. The shop had sent a satin ice-blue evening gown with intricate embroidery up to her room. The plunging neckline gave a tantalizing view of skin, and the back fell into a puddle of satin at the small of her back. Few women had the bodies to pull of such a gown, but she knew she wore it well. She had curled her long hair in a light wave, and had pulled it back with delicate cloisonn¡¦combs. Her pearl necklace and earring were real, not costume; and they rounded out the ensemble with understated elegance. Misha had rented a shimmering dress of gold silk and they made a stunning combination as they strolled towards their table.

They sat at a well-placed table near the stage where their Venezuelan colleagues were already seated. The party had been going for a while, and the festive mood fit well with the boisterous music in the background. Yet Jubilee could not shake the uneasy mood from earlier.

She felt dizzy, and her pulse was beating faster from some unnamed anxiety. ~What's wrong with you, Lee?~ You've dealt with armageddons, doppledangers and diabolical evil masterminds. There's nothing threatening about a roomful of geeky scientists, even if they are a little tipsy.~

Jubilee had a clear view of the entire room from her table, and slowly eased her mental shields in increments to avoid sensory overload. She had not touched the champagne at her fingertips, and yet she felt nausea roll over her in waves as though she had had too much to drink.

It felt as though the room was spinning, and the sounds around her seemed to fade even as her disorientation became more prevalent. Time slowed down and people began to move in jerking half-motions. The hair on the nape of her neck prickled as she felt her alarm increase..~Logan!~

Jubilee could feel Logan close by, and he was badly hurt, his berserker rage glaring off of him like a supernova beacon. Frantically she tried to pull herself together and overcome the twirling movements and lights around her. Feeling herself close to passing out, she dared something she had never tried before. She honed in on Logan's psychic signature and yanked at the dimensional fabric, holding on for dear life.

* * * * * Jubilee felt her body racing towards Logan's location in blur of sensations, which made her previous nausea seem like a walk in the park. She had no idea where she was going, her actions had been out of desperation of the situation, and pure instinct. Suddenly, the she felt a jarring feeling as she landed hard against a polished marble floor nose first. Loud screams and gunfire rattled the room around her, and she forced herself to weakly roll over to get a fix on her surroundings.

Jubilee could not help but gawk as she gazed at the chaos around her. She was still in the Jazz Baby, but she faced a much different scene. The smoke in the room was now real, from cigarettes and smoking guns. The festive mood had been replaced with scrambling patrons, fleeing for the door in almost a stampede to escape the machine gun fire.

Searching the room for Misha, she could not help but notice that the stage held an orchestra pit hiding the musicians, instead of making them the focus of the room. And although it was hazy in the room, the lighting was much dimmer and came from sparkling chandeliers now instead of imitation Art Deco lamps.

~It doesn't make any sense..I'm at the Jazz Baby, but its not the same people, its doesn't even seem to be the same room..did I time traveled? It wouldn't be the first time it's happened to an X-men.~

Blinking to clear her head from the fall, she felt someone hurtle towards and they rolled together, landing behind a nearby table. Bullets whizzed past their bodies as they barely dodged the danger.

Slumping to the ground beneath the weight of her rescuer, she knew who it was before she even opened her eyes. Large rough hands cradled her as though she were delicate porcelain, even amidst the chaos. Breathing in the familiart scent of whisky and cigars she beamed up into Logan's face as she opened her eyes, tears of relief falling freely.

What she found in his gaze though was confusion, not recognition. He held her as though he would never let her go, but he said nothing, staring at her bemusedly. As Jubilee tried to lean up on her elbows, she noticed the multiple gunshot wounds bleeding freely from his white dress shirt, and felt him wince with the movement..

And yet he did not release her. He held onto her like she was his anchor in a stormy sea, the only real thing in his world. Their eyes met and for a moment, nothing existed but them.

Pulling her closer to him as gunshots rained around them, he wrapped his body protectively around her. Running his fingertips over her silky tresses, he inhaled deeply. He did not know who she was, that she was sure of. But she could not help but pick up an overwhelming emotion radiating from his mind. ~?..MINE!~ She reeled at the possessive tone, startled to her core.

"Oh my God, Wolvie! Speak to me, I've never seen you this shot up before! We have to get out of here!" Jubilee trembled with emotion, blinking back tears of worry.

'Wolvie?" Logan gave her a puzzled look at the endearment. His voice seemed gruff with misuse.

"I don't understand darlin'..I don't remember much of what's happened beyond the last few weeks, this is the least of what I've been dealing with. I know you..I know I do, but I just can't remember."

Jubilee stilled, not sure of how much she wanted to reveal to Logan in the current locale. This situation was out of hand, and they needed to get out of here. She was one of the most powerful mutants in decades and she was laid out on the floor barely dodging bullets. Logans healing factor had his wounds slowly closing up, but he had been shot well over twenty times.

Gritting her teeth, she gently eased out of his arms. She still felt dizzy from the fall and time travel, but she was an X-men and had been trained to ignore such things when needed. And Logan needed her now.

Phasing the matter of the table in front of them so that she could see through it, she saw that the room was still filled with a panicking crowd. She had no doubt that Logan was the target of the gangsters, but luckily they weren't being very discriminative in their search of the nightclub.

Focusing on filling the wiring above the chandelier with a massive globule of plasma, she took Logan's hand in hers and squeezed it reassuringly. "Trust me, Logan. I can get us out of here, just don't let go. No matter what."

Logan didn't hesitate, nodding with a small grunt and squeezing her hand back. ~He must be hurting more than he lets on to be so accommodating. Get it moving, Lee.~

Jubilee edged slowly across the marble floor towards the wall behind them with Logan following closely, still holding her hand. Releasing the plasma burst above the chandelier, the room was filled with a spectacular array of light and shattering glass,and then went dark as the electrical circuits were blown.

When they reached the wall she concentrated on the different density and compositions of their bodies, slowly phasing their bodies through the wall. It was slow work, and she had never tried phasing someone else along with her before.

There was a moment when they were intangible, only a memory of their physical bodies. She was unable to maintain her mental shields in such a state, and it felt as though they were one, their consciousnesses combined. Jubilee could feel the overwhelming trust from Logan, and his fear for her safety.

~I didn't think you were afraid of anything, Wolvie.~ Jubilee sent him mental reassurance, backed with her love and trying to mask her own worry.

Finally, they fell through to the other side, landing in the cloak room in a tumble of arms and legs. She was sweating from the exertion and Logan's breathing was labored as they dug their way our from behind heavy furs and winter jackets. The room was empty as everyone had rushed into the cold out the fire exit.

Grabbing for a long men's jacket she grinned and tugged Logan to his feet. "Time to play dress up, Wolvoe. Not that those blood stains don't look dashing.you carry it well all things considered, but I think we've outworn our welcome."

Logan smirked and allowed her to help him pull the voluminous jacket over his other clothes. Jubilee tied a soft cashmere scarf at his throat to cover the blood near his face and placed a jaunty bowler hat upon his crested hair. As for herself, she pulled a lavish silver fox coat over her gown, pulling the front together tightly to hide the blood stains from their embrace.

"Shall we, Monsieur Logan?" She laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation and found she couldn't stop, slightly hysterical. Logan's smile faded and he pulled her into his arms again, holding her tightly against him in comfort.

'I don't even know your name, darlin'. I didn't even know my name until a few minutes ago. Everything is going to be all right, shhhh." Logan soothed her with his voice and stroked her back as she leaned against him just breathing in his scent. She had never realized how much she had missed the way he smelled.

"Its Jubilee. Jubilation Lee..But you like to call me Jubes sometimes, Wolvie. We've got to get out of here, we need to figure out what the hell is going on."

"Jubilee." Logan said quietly to himself.

Jubilee considered their next move. They needed to regroup in a safe place, but she couldn't think of many landmarks that would have been around during the 1920's Paris other than the most obvious ones. Much of the city had been rebuilt after World War II, and they needed a quick escape.

Perking up suddenly, Jubilee smiled up at Logan. "Hmm, I think I know somewhere we can blend in and try and figure out this mess." Tugging insistently at his coat, she led him out the front of the empty lobby.

* * * * *

Jubilee shivered beneath her fur coat at the chilly winter's breeze that blew in from the Seine River. It had been a short walk to the river's boulevard, which made the perfect escape for lover's trysts and time- traveling refugees alike. Benches lined the sidewalks in dark corners and shadows, and was relatively empty given the time of night and bitter cold.

Finding a bench protected from prying eyes and the cold wind by some low- lying bushes, Jubilee and Logan slumped down in exhaustion. The gurgling sound of Logan's lungs had stopped a few blocks ago after he had hacked up blood clots, and now the scars were fading above the dark bruises from the impacts of the bullets. His healing factor was doing its job, it just had a lot of work to do.

As for Jubilee, despite her relief at finding Logan safe and alive she was still reeling from her time travel. The fact that she had overexerted herself during their escape was also fast catching up with her. But they needed a plan of action, and she had no idea what was going on.

"At least I can do something about the cold, while we chitchat." Jubilee muttered.

It didn't require much concentration or power to warm the air around their bodies to a balmy heat. However, it was more than her body could take at the present and she wobbled precariously falling forward with a wave of diziness. Logan scooped her in his arms and onto his lap in a blur of motion with reflexes that belied his condition.

"Now then, Jubes. That's enough of that. Everyone has their limits, and you've just reached yours. Might as well get comfy, and let's figure out what's goin' on." Wolverine chuckled softly, but held her in an iron firm grip that didn't bode well for struggling.

"B-but your wounds!? Don't give me that look, Logan! Put me down, I'm going to hurt you like this!" Jubilee replied weakly. Well she was awful comfy, so why struggle?

"I'm feeling much better, trust me. Its not going to do us any good if you faint and I have to carry you around like a sack of flour." Logan had threaded his fingers through her hair and was massaging the nape of her neck in slow strokes which seemed to melt away her arguments.

Logan felt as though he couldn't touch her enough. His hands just kept gravitating towards her. His eyes never left her face. He wanted to bury his face in her hair and just sit, inhaling her sweet scent. And he'd best not dwell on what other parts of him wanted to do to her, given the circumstances.

He had known instantly that she was part of his life when he had seen her tumble to the ground in a flash of light. Even before he had smelled her familiar scent, a memory tickling his mind, he had felt himself drawn to her like a magnet.

It was as though he had been waiting, and had known she would be there. She was his. He struggled to beat down the possessive beast inside of his psyche, and concentrate on the matter at hand.

"Now then, I'll tell you what I know and vise versa. We need all the information we can get if we are going to figure out what is going on."

"I woke up in a strange room two months ago, in the l'Hotel Sofitel. I didn't remember who I was, why I was there, or much of anything about my life. All I know is that when I woke up I was weak, but very very angry. "

Jubilee chortled under her breath with amusement, not bothering to hide her grin.

"You don't seem particularly surprised at that, eh darlin'? Well, neither were the folks holding me captive. Next thing I knew I was diving at their throats, ready to kill them, when I heard a little gasp that caught my attention."

" At the back of the room stood a silent man with a sort of flickering knife of light coming out from his fist. And he was holding it to the back of a whimpering little girl's head."

Jubilee frowned in confusion as she listened.

"She couldn't have been much more than three or four years old, and had golden curls that fell over a ragged and filthy nightgown. They told me that if I didn't do exactly as they said, they would torture the child. I would have done anything once I heard her little whimper, and they knew it."

"They've been having me dance to their tune for the last few months, dangling Katrina's safety in front of my nose the whole time. It could have been a lot worse. The hotel was luxurious, and they kept us fed, safe, and warm. They watched her like a hawk though, knowing that if they were more than a step away from her I'd gut them..what?"

Jubilee's eyes had widened in shock. "K-katrina! It can't be! I saw her only a few hours ago when we tucked her into bed with the sitter. She's been here for months? Was she Russian, Logan? Did she tell you her last name, by any chance?"

Logan nodded slowly. "Katrina Patrova."

Jubilee sucked in her breath sharply at the answer.

"I haven't been sitting twiddling my thumbs for the last two months, Jubilee. I've been listening, and watching them very closely. They kept speaking of Katrina's gift, and my own powers. I learned about my mutant abilities and healing factor in bits and pieces, but they never called me anything but Wovlerine."

"Over and over I heard them talking about how they were waiting for a teacher for Katrina, someone who had the same abilities and understood how to use them."

"Wait.what gift, what abilities? Katrina is a mutant? She's only a baby for God's sake, what kind of monsters are these people?!" Jubilee clenched her fists tightly, her whole body tensing at the thought of the little girl scared and alone with strangers.

"As far as I could tell, she can travel through time and space. "Quantum displacement portals", I think they called it? These Fender people want it bad, and they have no qualms with using a child for their purposes."

"Quantum displacement portals? Fender Industries?" Jubilee said weakly, with a sinking feeling in her gut.

Logan nodded and gave her a questioning look.

Jubilee raised her hand. "One nuclear physicist mutant, at your service."

Logan released a string of curses into the cold winter air.

Chapter 4

 Jubilee sighed heavily with exasperation.

"Godammit, none of this makes any sense! Fender Industries, one of the most respected research companies in the world, kidnapped you and Katrina? All to get me to come here? And what the hell are we doing in Paris in the 1920's?"

Logan blinked at Jubilee in surprise.

"Oh yes, we aren't even from this time, Logan. Its the year 2003 in our time. Hell, I won't even be born for another 50 or so years!"

"The last time I saw you was a little over two months ago, which seems to correspond almost exactly with what you recall. We had just finished a spar in the Danger Room and we..well, that's not important. But I went to find you that evening and you were gone."

"Danger Room?"

Jubilee looked at Logan incredulously. Taking her time, she explained about Professor Xavier and how his dream had taken off in the form of the X-men. She explained his own mutations and abilities, and answered his questions about hers. He listened quietly with few comments, until she explained what they knew of his own past, or rather how little they knew.

"This is making a hell of a lot more sense coming from you, Jubilee. I knew I could fight, it just comes natural. But when the claws popped out the first time I didn't know what was goin' on. They've been trying to keep me in the dark all these months, but I've picked up on more than they knew."

"What about you an' me? What's our story, darlin'?" Wolverine said in a husky voice.

Jubilee was a little flustered at how bluntly he had asked her about their relationship.

"We're friends..but we used to be partners back in the day. We made a good team, but I've been pretty busy with my education the last few years. I just returned to Westchester a little bit before you went missing."

Wolverine looked at her a little strangely.

"Friends and partners, eh?"

His tone prompted her to tell him the story of how their lives had crossed one fateful evening in Australia. She smiled fondly as she recalled a few of their more colorful adventures in Asia and Madripoor, relaxing for the first time in months. The blustery wind and present danger seemed distant as she snuggled in his lap, basking in the warmth of Logan's laughter over a particularly humorous story.

Loud footsteps echoed down the avenue interrupting their light mood, and they both went on alert, listening intently. Two men turned the corner, one thin and tall, the other stocky with an long scar along his jaw line.

Sending out a light psychic touch, Jubilee sensed that they were searching for an injured man and woman from the nightclub, with little details as to their descriptions. Nodding slightly to Logan she sent him a warning They're looking for us. We don't want to arouse their attention.

Logan startled Jubilee by pulling her roughly against him and slanting his lips against hers. He kissed her softly despite the tight embrace, and she shivered in response sucking in her breath sharply. The men tried to appear casual as they strolled by, but glanced sideways at them searching the shadows for their features. Dizzy from the kiss, Jubilee still had the presence of mind to mumble a string of endearments in French that the men could overhear.

Logan felt his body tighten at the taste of her, and forgot the subterfuge of the moment. ~Hell, who are you kidding? You've been looking for an excuse to kiss her since you saw her in the nightclub.~

He didn't know what to think about what he had learned about his past tonight. It didn't ring true to him that they were just "friends". He could never be immune to this woman's charms, even if he tried. She had a sensuality and vitality for life that she tried to cover with her professional drive, but she couldn't fool him.

Why wouldn't he have claimed her as his? How could she not know that she already was?

Logan couldn't help but take a deeper taste, dipping his tongue into her mouth. She tasted hot and sweet, like honey. Jubilee trembled, fighting temptation for a moment as his tongue stroked hers. He could feel the moment her resistance melted when she whimpered softly and began kissing him back with abandon.

Jubilee couldn't think straight, her mind had shut down when Logan's lips had touched hers. She could only feel, and right now she felt wonderful and alive. Running her fingers through the his hair she pulled his mouth even closer, enjoying a moment she knew would be too soon over. After all, Wolvie didn't care for her that way, and he didn't know that in his current condition. Guilt washed over her and she flushed, pulling away regretfully.

However, Logan was not ready for the kiss to end.

Brushing his knuckles lightly along her spine, she shivered despite her sense of guilt. Persuadingly he nipped at her bottom lip, granting him entrance once again. Growling gently with satisfaction he cupped her bottom in his hands and kissed her in a way that made the previous kiss seem like a simple peck on the cheek.

Logan knew they were in no danger, the two men had gone on their way convinced they were young lovers in their own little world. He wasn't sure they were so far off on their estimation. He wanted to forget about the anxiety and worry of the past few months and focus on what felt real. Jubilee felt like home; she was warm, comfortable, and just felt right. He could feel her uncertainty of the situation and knew that they could never have been intimate.

Just another puzzle to figure out. He had known this woman for only a couple hours, and yet he knew he wanted to be with her for a lifetime. How could he possibly have not known the same in his former life? Logan had no doubt that they would work through this dilemma with Katrina and Fender Industries, and then what? Was he supposed to let her waltz out of her life without a fight? Logan decided he didn't care about the reasons behind his past decisions. What mattered was he wanted her now, and he was going to do everything in his power to make her his.

He tightened his grip on her at the thought, and a wave of possessiveness rolled over him. Jubilee could sense his change in mood, and was flabbergasted. Could it be this wasn't just an act for the search party?

"L-Logan?"

Logan looked up at her from the sensitive spot of her collarbone that he was nibbling at.

"Hmmm? What darlin'?"

"What are you doing? The men have gone."

"Something I obviously should have done a long, long time ago, Jubes." He replied in a dry voice with a chuckle. Logan licked teasingly at the pulse of her neck before placing a soft kiss there.

Jubilee arched her neck into his kiss without even thinking. 'Logan, we shouldn't be doing this! I can't take advantage of you like this, you don't even remember what our relationship was like."

Jubilee managed to catch his attention long enough for him to give her a hot look of need. She took a shaky breath and prayed for willpower.

"Do I look like a guy being taken advantage of, sweetie?" Logan looked genuinely amused.

"Well, I..uh."

"You said it gorgeous. We shouldn't be doing this..here, at least." Logan grinned wolfishly.

"Wolvie, you don't really mean that. You've never made any sort of advances on me in all the time I've known you. We're partners, friends, teammates...and that's it."

Logan gazed at her intensely, their eyes locked in a moment of truth.

"Its true I don't remember much of what happened to me before I arrived in Paris. Yet." "But I know in my gut that holding you in my arms is right, Jubilee. My memory is coming back in bits and pieces. If I couldn't be honest with myself before, there's no reason I can't be honest with myself now."

Jubilee scowled stubbornly. "This is crazy, Logan. You don't know what you're talking about, I think one of those bullets hit you in the head!"

Logan threw back his head and roared with laughter.

"Why are you so adamant about this, Jubes? Is it so unbelievable that I find you desirable, that I want to kiss you?" He queried as he brushed aside a stray lock of hair from her forehead.

"I'm freezing my buns off, Wolvie and I'm starting to think the cold has seeped into your brain. This conversation is over as far as I am concerned." Jubilee set her jaw tightly with a no-nonsense look.

"Fine, let's go somewhere warmer and more secure until we decide what to do about Katrina. But this conversation is not over." Before she could argue he pulled her towards him for one last kiss which left her breathless.

To be continued...