Part Twenty-Four

Paige gnawed on her nails, despite the Nail Biter she had applied only that morning. At that moment, any nervous habit was calming. Logan watched her pensively, judging her reaction to the news he'd just revealed to her about Jubilee. The room was silent for several minutes, save the light tap of the drawstring to the blinds against the wall as a breeze brought in the scent of rain through the open window. Finally, the blonde removed her hand from her mouth, and Logan noticed that the tip of her ring finger bled from where she had bit it to the quick. She pressed this finger against her palm, both to stop the bleeding and to keep from getting blood everywhere. She no longer wondered why it was required that Jubilee be watched, even while asleep.

"M-may Ah g-go see her?" For some reason, she couldn't gain control of her verbal skills, and her eyes kept wandering to a point in the ceiling that she was convinced that her friend lay, almost thinking that, if she stared at it long enough, she'd be able to see through the plaster and sturdy construct to assure herself that, yes, Jubilee was still asleep in her bed, safe and sound, with Remy flipping through muted channels beside her.

Logan considered the girl. She wasn't very old, seventeen, she had told him. But there was something about her that spoke of a maturity beyond her years. Perhaps being the second oldest of so many siblings had taught her to take command, even in strenuous situations. He tried to imagine himself in her shoes; just finding out that his best friend had tried to take her own life several times, and wanting to see her, but patiently having to wait until he was granted permission by some strange man he'd only met but a few times. "Yeah," he granted. "Go see her."

She smiled gratefully and abruptly stood, ignoring the small black spots that swam before her vision as she rushed up the stairs to Jubilee's side as if the hounds of hell were at her heels.

* * * *

"So then Monet stands up an' says, all regal lahke, 'Theah is no way Ah am goin' in theah.'" Paige dipped the small brush back into the nail polish, swiping it on the edge before returning to her friend's neglected nails.

"What'd Frosty do?" Jubilee inquired, trying not to giggle at the image of Monet St. Croix flat-out refusing an order coming directly from Miss Frost.

"Well, she made her go in anyway. An' as she shut the door, she said, 'Monet, y'all will learn some humility, or y'all will end up turnin' out lahke Emma Frost, White Queen of th' Hellfire Club's Inner Circle.'"

"She actually *said* that?"

"Yup." The blonde recapped the bottle, then leaned back to admire her work. "Theah. All done."

Jubilee lifted her hand to her face and began blowing on the freshly painted nails. From this angle, Paige could just make out the reddish-purple bruise on her wrist, tracing the artery there, and she turned away, feeling that, somehow, she was invading her friend's privacy.

"What?" Jubilee had a smirk on her face when Paige turned back, but it quickly faded at the older girl's expression, which she was trying to keep blank. "What?" she asked again, though this time, her voice was grave.

"Ah.. Ah spoke t' Mistah Logan this aftahnoon. He tol' me about ... everahthin'."

Jubilee's eyes dropped to her blanket, then back to her nails, which were spread across her knees. "Yeah? An' now I guess yer wonderin' how I could be so stupid, huh?"

"No." Blue eyes met blue eyes, and a small, quirky smile crossed the Kentucky native's face. "Ah guess Ah was thinkin' that Ah wished Ah was nicah t' you when we were roommates. Heck, compared t' you, mah life's been peaches an' cream. Ya didn' need all th' grief Ah gave ya."

Jubilee paused, then returned the smile. "Ya didn't give me nearly as much grief as I gave you, Hayseed. Remember the time I put that mouse in yer underwear drawer?"

The blonde laughed. "How could Ah fohget? Meanwhile, Ah do believe that is the only time Ah've evah seen you wake up cheerful."

"Hysterical," the younger girl corrected, then quickly sobered. "Naw. You were a good roomie, Paige. Thanks."

This time, the smile was big and toothy, and Paige reached out to squeeze her friend's hand, not caring if her nails were wet. "You, too."

(Written by Dana Night)

* * * *

"Jubilee! You give me that back!" Paige smiled and poked her friends arm carefully, needling her for the shared potato chips she'd stolen over to her side of the bed.

"Nrh nrh!" Jubilee stuffed her mouth with a handful of chips and tried desperately to chew them all at once, crumbs falling al over the bedspread. "Ooh can' have 'em Paigey!"

Rumble In the Bronx had stared on the TV, Logan saying he was going to get a beer or two while the previews were on. Paige sighed and leaned over the side of the bed, looking under to where Logan said there was a chip stash. Pulling out a bag of Dill Pickle with a tiny squeal, Jubilee looked over and promptly gave up her regular - Paige's favorite - for the dill.

"What? Does he have a whole supply or something down there? Oh, these are good!" she exclaimed, scooping up a hand full to chew through. Reaching for Bamf, Jubilee curled up and turned the volume up a it, the chips in one hand, remote in the other.

"Okay, ya can all be quiet again, the movie's startin'." Logan pushed open the door and then shut it after Remy walked in behind him. The older man sprawled out on the couch comfortably, ignoring the springs, while the younger man sat down on the floor cross-legged, resting as he reached under the bed for a bag of barbeque chips.

"Just how many bags did you sneak under there while I was sleeping?" Jubilee reached over and poked Logan in the arm, smiling at him. "We've all got a bag except for you!"

"Enough to get me through three movies, 'cept you fell asleep at the second." Logan picked up her hand and held it as the previews finished and the movie started. Paige watched the little girl and her mentor carefully.

Their friends at the Academy seemed to think that her relationship, no matter how long they'd known each other, with the legendary berserker Wolverine of the X-Men was inappropriate for such a young girl and old man. But sitting here on her bed with her, seeing them hold hands closely and watching him tolerate her chatter and ribbing with love, Paige could see a different side of it.

They needed each other. In different ways, some the same, but they truly and deep down needed each other. Logan needed her to keep him sane, help him to love people and life and Jubilee needed him to be a best friend, a father-figure to help her with life. They were closer than you could imagine, just sitting in the same room with them you could feel their love for each other.

"Yo, Paige. Yer staring off into space girl!" Jubilee nudged her elbow gently and then turned back to the movie while Remy pulled out a cigarette and lighter. "Oh no! To the window with you!"

"Chere, you gonna make Remy get up and go all de way over to de window to smoke his little friend?" Remy rolled over from his position on the floor to look up at her, his red eyes smiling merrily as he smiled up at her.

"I don't like the smoke. Even Wolvie has to smoke at the window." she bent over carefully and patted his head. "Good boy."

Remy pretended to scowl but nevertheless, stood and went to the window behind the ugly couch, opening it wide to light up his cigarette.

* * * *

Paige rolled over in bed slowly, eyes still closed as she woke to the morning jumble outside her room. Something hard hit her arm and Paige's eyes flew open in horror only to realize that she indeed wasn't in her own room back at the Academy, but in Jubilee's room at the Westchester mansion and had just hit the wall rolling the wrong way. Sighing in relief, she sat up, wondering why it was so loud outside the doorway in a house full of adults. It didn't even get that loud in the Academy.

The movie last night had been great and she and Jubilee had stayed up until 1 AM talking before Logan had given her a look and Jubilee said it was time to go. Remy had left early, complaining about being tired and heading to his room to think and sleep. Paige had found Jubilee's room easily by Jean advice in her head; go straight to the staircase, left and then second door on the right, looking out over the side yard.

Sighing, she looked at the alarm clock, pulling back the covers. She'd actually over slept for once; the alarm read 10 AM. No doubt Jubilee was still asleep. Paige quickly got dressed in her clothes from the day before, mentally thinking that if Ang and Jono remembered, her stuff should be there that afternoon so she could feel clean again.

(Written by Nova Zion)