Part Twenty-three

For the first time in the past week, Logan was completely alone. And he was hating it. In only 7 days, Jubilee had become such a part of his life, he needed to be there for her and he'd forgotten what to do on his own. Staring out over the slight hill in the back grounds of the Westchester mansion, he smiled as the mist fell and thought of Jubilee, wondering if she was alright upstairs with people she hadn't considered her friends only the other day. A slight breeze shifted in the air and Logan looked down at the now wet grass in thought.

She was a strong girl, a good girl and she'd get through it.

The words he'd spoken to Remy flashed through his mind and he shook his head, knowing that it could either be true or not. She was indeed a good girl, and very strong with a great mind to be able to get through this, but if she'd tried five times to kill herself, Logan could only think that she would probably do it again, even succeed.

He sipped at his coffee in the thermos he'd brought out, glad it was still warm even with the lid off. Lighting up the cigar that was still clenched between his teeth, he sucked the warm, yellow, acrid smoke into his lungs and exhaled, feeling his healing factor take out the toxins quickly. The one thing that kept him alive all these years had real side effects.

"Hey Storm." Logan nodded at the woman he knew was behind him, at least ten feet above, floating on the gentle breeze. Her scent had been downwind until the air had shifted a moment ago. "Yer gettin' pretty good at keepin' outta sight of me."

"I did not control the wind this time. As Remy puts it, Lady Luck seems to have done it for me." she smiled and sat down beside him on a dryer portion of grass beneath the shady tree. "Have you come out to enjoy nature and it's surroundings?

"Yeah. Told Jubes I'd come out and smoke this cigar and rest a bit." he leaned against the large, hard trunk, sighing as a small brown bird flew from their tree to the next, chirping in the early afternoon mist. He handed the black coffee to Storm, who took a quick sip to warm her up and passed it back.

"Who is with her? Remy again?"

"Nah. Some o' the kids from the Academy came to check up on her and they're talkin' up there. I gotta go clean the room out soon, so she doesn't get too tired."

"You seem to miss her now Logan." Storm turned to her old friend, smiling at him. "I marvel at the way you handle her. I would never have though to see you as one for children, yet here you are caring for one with such a passion and loving it. It is almost as if she is your own."

"I care about her. I know her past now, and there's a lot - and I mean a lot - of stuff she just hasn't told anyone and can't. She is like my daughter, but she was before. Now, it's just cemented there." Logan gazed at the black clouds coming across the horizon. "'Nother big storm comin', 'Ro?"

"Yes, close to a hurricane I'd say. And I realize that you changed the subject. How is Jubilee faring?"

"Good, she's good. Strong and tough, just like I taught her. Coping good." Logan nodded his head and gulped back some coffee.

"Logan, you are showing me yet another side I never knew existed." she patted his knee softly and then stood. "I must go, I am wanted in the kitchen to help start cooking supper for tonight."

(Written by Nova Zion)

Jubilee tried her best to suppress a giggle at Angelo's impression of a lecture Sean had given the other day, but failed miserably, her thin hands pressed firmly against her mouth, to try and prevent the telltale signs of actual happiness from escaping. Downstairs, the phone rang, and Angelo, Jono and Paige all paled considerably. The room fell silent, and all four teens strained to hear the conversation that ensued once Bobby answered the phone. No one stirred, and even the misty rain seemed to pause as the anticipation ran high within the small confines of the four walls. Suddenly, Drake's voice carried up the dark stairwell, shouting, "Paige! You're wanted on the phone."

Grudgingly, the girl stood and, casting a wan smile to her bedridden friend, turned and left the room. No one moved in her absence, and both boys seemed to visibly jump when Jubilee let out a short, dry cough.

*You all right, gel,* Starsmore asked, more to fill the silence than anything else.

"I'm fine." Her voice was irritated, and if he had offered a helping hand, she would have swatted at it. Angelo said nothing, only looked on. A moment later, Paige entered the room once more.

"Ang, Miss Frost wants t' talk t' you," she said, her voice weary. Turning to Jubilee as the Latino boy left the room, she added, "An she wants t' know if you'll speak t' her, too."

"Didja get busted?" Jubilee asked.

"Not as much, since Ah told her ya asked me t' stay heah. Ang might, though. An' Ah wouldn't be suhprised, Jono, if she asks t' speak t' you, jus' so she can give ya a pre-lecture, befoah ya go back an' get the real thing. But now she wants t' speak t' you, Jubilee, if you'ah up foah it, an' then she'll talk t' Mistah Logan or Doctah McCoy t' see if it's okay with them. Are ya up foah a trek downstairs an' a chat with Miss Frost?"

Jubilee paused, then nodded and began to sit up, just as Logan entered the room. Giving her a sharp look, and menacing glares to the other two teens, he asked gruffly, "What're ya doin'?"

"I'm gonna go talk ta Frosty ta see if I can get Hayseed ta stay here fer awhile."

He eyed Paige, who chose that moment to examine her fingernails as they rested in her lap. "Is that what ya want?" he asked finally. Jubilee nodded firmly.

"We got it all figgered out. She stays in my room, an' whenever I want, like, someone my own age or whatever ta talk to, bam an' she's right there."

"Don't y' have school?" This question was for Paige.

She looked up, blue eyes full of hope as she explained, "Ah've been workin' the past few days t' get caught up foah the next few weeks. Aftah that, I can stand t' be a little behind, if it's foah Jubilee's sake."

*Besides,* Jono chipped in, *me an' the other chaps can drop by an' give the gel 'er lessons an' rot.*

Logan nodded thoughtfully. They had proved it was doable, at least in verbal arguments. "All right. But ya ain't goin' downstairs fer a lousy phone call." Opening the top drawer of his dresser, he removed a phone that, although it was a little battered and seemed to have more duct tape than McGuiver, it still seemed to work as he stooped to plug it into the phone jack that was hidden behind the bed. With a polite nod, he handed the receiver to Jubilee, who took it gratefully in trembling hands.

"Frosty?" she said, and her voice seemed small, like that of a lost child. "Yeah, Ang, ya can get off fer now. Frosty, it's Jubilee. Miss me?" She paused, and a tiny smile crossed her face. "Yeah." She paused again, searching Logan's face and, with her free hand, she reached out to squeeze his, and his massive paw seemed to swallow her porcelain one. "Yeah. I think it'd be nice ta have her here, ya know?" Again a beat, and she licked her lips. "Thanks Frosty. I hafta go, but here's Wolvie." Angelo entered the room as the phone was passed from protegee to protector, and Jubilee gave Paige a little nod. "She says it's A-OK."

(Written by Dana Night)

Jono and Angelo bid goodbye to Jubilee, each with a kiss; in Jono's case, pressing where his lips use to be against her temple. Logan lifted her to the window so she could see them leave at an angle at least in the cab he'd called to come get them, payed for by Frost Industries. The sky had darkened considerably in the last few hours, the clouds speeding through the sky over the mansion as Jubilee had watched them do only the other day.

"'Ro says it's gonna be a big storm." Logan sat her back down on the bed and she smiled, taking the hand of the quiet girl beside her in her own. "How's about I get us those glow sticks ya stuck in the fridge later on and Paige can sleep in here for tonight? Like a...sleepover or somethin'? Ya still got the other Jackie Chan movie t' watch."

"Sure! And you stay too!" Jubilee was excited, hyperactive to say the least. Sighing, he pulled the blanket over her feet and motioned for her to lay back on the bed. "I'm not tired!"

"You're too worked up. Hank told ya to take it easy and yer not, so now I'm gonna make sure ya are. Lay down, go to sleep. Paige, can ya go and knock on Remy's door an' see if he wants t' watch J fer a bit more?" Logan kissed her temple as Paige stood shakily and waved goodbye, wondering why she had to have someone watch her sleep. She mentally tried to remember which door was his before noticing that the door she was in front of was opening up before her.

"Woah! Allo chere. I t'ought you was Bobby playin' a joke with de door handles again." Remy looked out on her as he stepped back in surprise. Paige smiled shyly and opened her mouth to speak as he walked back into the room to grab a t-shirt to go with his jeans.

"Logan was wond'rin' if ya could watch Jubes f' jus' a bit. He's gotta talk t' me about her condition and watch she can do an' evahr'thin'." she smiled and the Cajun nodded, heading down to the bedroom at the end of the hall. Paige followed and stopped at the doorway as Logan finished talking with Jubilee. Remy sat down on the couch, propping his feet up on the bed and Logan stood to leave with Paige. She could hear Jubilee turn her 'new' Counting Crows on next to the bed, listening to it blast through her earphones as she closed her eyes and slowly rolled over into a more comfortable position, Remy flicking cards back and forth between his hands as he lazily stared out the window.

* * * *

Logan and Paige had gone down to the kitchen to talk, each sitting across from the other at the table as they drank cup after cup of coffee. Paige smiled and traced the lines of the wood through the polish, waiting for Logan to speak first as he'd brought her here.

"I wanna let ya in on J's condition and what she can't do right now, but first I wanna know how much ya know." Logan's gruff voice snapped the Kentucky native's thoughts back to reality and she raised her head, watching him as he spoke to her.

"Ah know, as well as Monet, Ang, Jono an' Ev, that Jubilee threw herself outta a' window an' that she's bin recuperatin'. The uthahs at the school jus' think she had a death in the fam'ly." Logan eyed her warily, sizing her up as she stumbled along, trying to tell him all they'd been told by Emma and Sean. She was only a few years older than Jubilee, 16 or 17 at the most, and she seemed okay, nice like her brother and respectful of her elders.

"Well, ya know almost nothin'."

"Whataya mean? Miz Frost and Mistah Cassidy said that's what happened."

"They don't even know all of what's happened to Jubes." Logan chugged what was left of his coffee and stood to drop the mug in the sink before returning to the table. The blonde girl fidgeted noticeably and clasped her hands, studying the burly man before her as he scratched his head in wondering where to start.

* * * *

Hank slowly pushed the door to Logan's room opened and looked inside. Remy turned his head and motioned for him to keep quiet and come in. Jubilee slept peacefully, every so often groaning as a muscles shifted or knotted up. Walking quietly into the small bedroom, Hank sat down on the edge of the couch, praying it would make no noise.

"How is she?" he asked, watching her side move rhythmically up and down with shallow breaths as she slept curled in the corner of the bed, headphones blaring music loudly.

"She be fine. She don' seem to 'ave anymore nightmares, but you 'ave t' ask Logan about nighttime. Paige's gonna stay wit' her f' a bit I t'ink to have someone her own age t' talk t'." Remy stopped flicking his cards and sat forward as she turned over, still asleep. Sitting back, he smiled and nodded. "She be fine."

(Written by Nova Zion)