WARNING:
THERE IS EXPLICIT SEX IN THIS STORY. I marked this clearly in the header. The sex is graphic, but all loving and consensual (and not that much worse than a typical romance novel). If reading sex scenes like that would offend you, please don't read this.

If you want to comment, send email to <luba@lubakmetyk.net>

Part 1

Standing just inside the door of the rec room where the Gen-X teens were watching a loudly blaring MTV special, the short, stocky Canadian frowned a bit at how easily he'd snuck up on his young friend and former partner. He bit back a sharp crack about always needing to 'check six' and the obviously poor quality of the training Jubilee was currently receiving, ruefully admitting to himself that the main reason he wanted to give her such a lecture was to avoid having the much harder talk he needed to have with her. "Hey, kid. Too busy fer the ol' man?"

His low, raspy growl easily carried through the discordant cacophony masquerading as music these days... or else Jubilee was simply inhumanly sensitized to that particular sound. "Wolvie!" The young Asian-American girl shrieked, and flung herself up off the couch and into his open arms before the last echo of her cry had faded. "What're ya doin' here wanna take me shopping why didn't ya call there's all this neat stuff Frosty won't let me get how long're you staying--"

A big, rough hand wrapped itself gently over her mouth. "If ya keep quiet fer just a minute, motormouth, I'll tell ya," Logan grinned down at her, his trepidation momentarily dissipated by her noisy and eager welcome. He glanced over at their audience. Her classmates -- Everett, Paige, Angelo, even Jono and Monet -- were staring at them avidly, not even pretending to mind their own business or watch the music video still playing. "C'mon, let's go find us some peace an' quiet -- I ain't sure even *my* healing factor's up ta repairing the damage if I hafta listen ta that awful caterwauling much longer. Plus I wanna smoke, and Emma'll have my hide if I light up in here.

"So, how's school goin'?" Keeping his arm around her shoulders, he drew the spunky, petite orphan who'd attached herself to him so firmly years ago off toward the back door, listening with half an ear as she rattled out a seeming endless stream of not-too-serious complaints about her classes and assignments and classmates and teachers, distractedly wondering how he was going to start a serious conversation with her.

However, as soon as they had gotten outside and walked a short distance away from the building, towards the danger grotto, Jubilee stopped suddenly and turned to face her mentor. "Ok, Wolvie, spill."

"Huh?"

While Logan struggled to gather his thoughts, the young teen glared up at him with an odd mixture of triumph and concern. "You show up here without callin', you wanna talk to me alone, ya ain't giving me a long lecture about how I should stop bitchin' an' take school seriously on accounta it's so important -- you think I'm dumb or something?"

"No, darlin'... you're a whole lotta things -- mosta them good--" white teeth flashed in a brief grin, "but dumb ain't one o' them. Yeah, I came here ta talk ta you -- that's one o' the reasons I came, anyways -- but there's nothin' wrong."

"*One* of the reasons?" She certainly *wasn't* dumb, she pounced on that immediately.

"Yeah, like I said, I came up ta talk ta you... but I came up ta see Betsy too. And yeah, I'm staying a while -- a week or so -- and we can go out some, just the two of us, but I hafta be with Betts too, spend time with her..."

"Why?" Jubilee demanded bluntly, then her eyes widened in shock. "I knew her and the flyboy broke it off, that's why she's up here -- that an' she's been helping Frosty with Rogue... Whaddaya mean, ta 'be with' her -- you mean, *you two*...?!"

"Well, yeah, sorta..." The much older man floundered for the right words gracelessly, thinking briefly that he'd rather be fighting Creed. "But not really, not like that..." Seeing the young girl's reaction at even the idea, Logan had to admit to himself Betsy and Emma had obviously been right about his needing to break this particular news to Jubilee in person, before she found out through the ever-efficient X-rumor-mill. "Look, I wanted ta explain ta ya myself, ahead o' time..."

"What, that you and the nimbo are shackin' up together?!" Black eyes flashed furiously.

"Not like that," Logan repeated weakly, then his voice strengthened and sharpened, "And she ain't done *nothin'* ta deserve disrespect like that." Seeing Jubilee flush unbecomingly at the uncharacteristically harsh rebuke, remembering how his new companion and his rebodied teammate had gotten off to a bad start when the Hand had sent a brainwashed Betsy to assassinate him right after the young runaway had rescued him from the Reavers' deathtrap, he went on more gently, "Look, this is hard... an' complicated. Lemme explain, an' you think about it, an' then if ya still hate the idea..." He trailed off, not sure himself what he'd do in that case. He couldn't -- he didn't want to -- back out on his promise to Betsy, which wasn't strictly speaking any of Jubilee's business... but he didn't want to hurt the young girl, either -- he didn't want her doubting his very real love for her, especially when he wasn't around.

It was almost as if she could sense his thoughts, because Jubilee looked up at him more calmly -- although still pouting. "Ok, talk."

"Let's siddown." He took off his old leather motorcycle jacket and spread it on the ground for her, squatting down on his haunches next to her after she'd settled herself. Taking out a cigar, he lighted it and took a long puff before speaking. "You already know Betsy and Warren broke up -- but do ya know why?"

"'Cause she wanted ta get married and he didn't," she fired back promptly, although eyes enormous with shock and shining with just the hint of unshed tears belied her glib tone.

Logan shook his head at the ever-amazingly efficient and inaccurate rumor mill. "Yes, and no. But what I'm gonna tell you now is *private* -- I want yer promise ya ain't gonna run and repeat all this ta everybody as soon as we're done, ok?"

"But you're telling me," she pointed out, quite reasonably.

"I'm telling ya because ya need ta know... and, besides, darlin', I got Betsy's permission first."

"Oh, great! Now you're both so joined at the hip that ya need the nimbo's permission just ta talk to me?!"

"Just listen, darlin', ok?" He ignored the rebellious face she made at him, and waited patiently for the reluctant nod that slowly followed. "Helping plan Brian and Meg's wedding made Betsy want to get married herself, because she did... does... *did* love the flyboy, even if things weren't always perfect with them -- but *also* on accounta she wanted ta start a family. Warren was willin' ta marry her, but didn't want 'em ta have any kids..." Logan's voice trailed off again, suggesting another awkward subject coming up.

"Why?" Jubilee had started listening because she couldn't resist the notion of knowing something others didn't, then began *really* paying attention as someone else's problem penetrated her usual emotional armour of seeming self-absorption. "Two posh, rich, blue-bloods -- they can afford all the kids they want and still have the good life, they can get all the nannies they need ta keep any little rugrats outta the way..."

He'd known she'd ask. And he'd thought long and hard about it, and still hadn't found any way to make it sound any better. "From what Betts tol' me, two blue-bloods was exactly what flyboy wanted... but what she couldn't give him..."

"Huh?"

She wasn't going to figure it out, and save him having to say it. "Her mind is her own, her powers are her own but her body isn't, so any genes her kids would inherit ain't Braddock genes, they're Kwannon's..."

"Ya mean he didn't want ta have a kid with her *because the kid would be part yellow*?!" Asian-American herself, Jubilation Lee knew about that kind of prejudice firsthand, and was even more outraged than she'd be at increasingly 'normal' anti-mutant prejudice.

"Or because Kwannon was a killer, a Hand assassin..." Logan tried to soften it as much as he could, although he was also calculating that Jubilee being mad at Angel should make her more sympathetic to Betsy. "Or because they don't know Kwannon's family at all, what inherited problems there might be -- we can't know *fer sure* just what he was thinking..." Of course, as a telepath Betsy *did* know, but that wasn't really Jubilee's business.

"No, it's because *the kid would be part yellow*!" She was still seething, ignoring his fumbled, half-hearted rationale. "And don't you try ta whitewash it, like it was ok -- What if it was you an' Mariko--"

"Don't go there."

Hearing the sudden harsh bitterness, Jubilee realized she'd put her foot in her big mouth, as usual, and wisely backed off. "Ok, ok, so the nimbo and the jerk decide ta break it off, so what? You been waiting for the opening, ta move in on her?"

Forcing himself to take a deep, calming breath, he fought to center himself after the poignant reminder of his dead love. "Betsy and Warren broke it off, but that don't mean she don't still want kids. She thought about it, and decided she didn't need ta get married ta have a family. Then she thought about it some more, and asked me ta be the father."

"What?!" Jubilee was stunned, thinking furiously as she tried to catch up. "You said she decided she doesn't need to get married, so you ain't telling me you're getting hitched... You said she asked you ta be the father -- ok, you're going to be a sperm donor, right?"

"Yeah, exactly. She said she wanted somebody she knew and liked and respected, and knew she could trust ta stay in the kid's life -- so the kid would know its father -- but not interfere in her decisions, not try ta take the kid away some day... and I was it. An' I agreed."

"So, why are you going to stay here? Shouldn't you both be back at the mansion seeing Big Blue, or flying over ta Muir an' Dr. McTaggert? Or you trying ta keep it secret, and Frosty's got a clinic for that?" The White Queen seemed to have everything else, after all.

"We'll do that if we hafta, darlin'... but we're gonna try it the old-fashioned way a while first. That's why I'm gonna stay up here for a while, with Betts... and with you."

"The-- EWGH! Gross! You mean, you and she are gonna... EWGH! WHY?! Why do... *it* that way... unless... Do you love her, I mean, *really*?"

"She's special ta me, yeah... but so 're you and Kitty and Domino and Rogue and others, each in your own special way... I love her as a friend and teammate, just like I do you and Kitty and Domino and Rogue -- and others -- each in your own special way... but, no, not like you're asking." He wouldn't mention Jeannie -- that was different -- and he didn't think Jubilee would appreciate some of the other names he could mention.

"Then why?!" There was anguished betrayal in that heartfelt cry. "You wouldn't sleep with me or Kitty or Domino or Rogue, would you? So why her?"

"Look... If Neena or Rogue asked me ta do something like this for them that I could, I would. And when you and Kitty are as old as Betts, I'd do the same for you if you asked -- if you had as good a reason fer asking, if I was convinced you were asking for the right reasons and it were the right thing ta do. Betts an' me, we're gonna do it personal -- at least try to -- because it *is* a personal thing, and we ain't gonna pretend it ain't. An' I'm telling you so you know why and how *before* you hear a buncha wildass rumors -- right or wrong -- not on accounta I gotta ask your permission. It's *my* business, ta decide what the honorable thing ta do is. An' I'm tryin' ta do right by you an' Betts, both."

Continued in Part 2...