Part Twenty-two

Through the darkened stairwell, Paige Guthrie looked up and saw her friend's mentor standing there, watching the scene that was playing out before him. She met his gaze, and he nodded and motioned her to go through the kitchen, to the lesser used staircase in the back of the house. Silently, she slipped from the sides of her friends as they watched Hank and Jean argue anxiously, and strode confidently to the back of the large mansion. She had been this route a few times already, when she had gone to visit her brother, Sam, while he was still on the team, and Jean had just washed the carpet on the main staircase, requiring everyone to go around. Tucking an errant strand of short blonde hair behind her ear, she climbed the stairs and was greeted by Logan at the top. Without a word, he turned and led her to his room, where the mysterious man she knew as Remy LeBeau, or Gambit, stood by the open window, smoking a cigarette.

The clouds had gathered once again, though this time, only a light mist fell, and the sun peeked through the clouds, scattering silvery diffused light around the room. With a look, Logan told her to wait by the door, then crossed to awaken Jubilee, who slept, thin and pale, beneath the dark covers of his bed. He sat on the mattress beside the girl and took one of her slender hands in his, whispering her name. After a moment, her eyes fluttered open.

"Guthrie's here t' see ya," he said softly, and she wondered if he actually remembered her first name. She had gotten somewhat used to being referred to by others as her brother's sister.

"Sam?" she rasped, but he shook his head and pointed toward the door. Jubilee's head rolled to the side and the girl looked over to see her former teammate standing on the threshold, watching her. "Paige."

The Kentucky blonde stepped into the room, giving her friend a slight smile. "Hi, Jubilee." Her attempt to hide her accent was abandoned; there was no room for pretenses here. Without a word, Remy and Logan left, though both girls knew at least Logan would be waiting just outside.

The carpet fell away beneath Paige's feet and she found herself kneeling beside the bed, holding her friend's tiny hand in both of hers, tears blurring her vision. "Ah'm so sorry, Jubilee. We nevah meant ta upset ya. It was all mah fault. Ah was the one who made the bannah and things. Ah just thought ya might need ta know that we love ya." The younger girl said nothing, and Paige went on. "Ange an' Jono are heah, too. We had ta skip class ta come see ya. We knew Miss Frost an' Mistah Cassidy wouldn't let us come, so we pooled all ouah money togethah ta catch a cab, but we still didn' have enough. Then Monet gave a pair a earrin's ta sell. She misses ya. We all miss ya. But we jus' want ya ta get bettah."

"How much do you know?" Paige could see the pain in Jubilee's eyes as she spoke the words, and the shame. How horrible this must be for her.

"The team knows that ya jumped outta yoah window, but everyone else jus' thinks theah was a death in yoah family or somethin' an' whethah you'ah comin' back is questionable."

"I'm not," she firmly stated, and Paige hesitated.

"Ya don't hafta. We'll miss ya, but we'll come visit ya when we can. Heah. Ah brought ya somethin'. Ah wanted ta buy ya somethin' pretty, but Ah spent all mah money tryin' ta get heah. So Ah decided ta give ya this." From her shoulder bag, she pulled a Counting Crows CD. It was one of her favorites, and she had always yelled at Jubilee whenever she had tried to put it in her own collection. Now, she gave it freely, and Jubilee realized how ludicrous those arguments had become in light of recent events. Now, Paige would have done anything if it would bring a smile to Jubilee's lips. The girl just eyed the gift, knowing she should thank her, but the words wouldn't come. Paige didn't seem to mind. "Jono an' Ange wanna see ya, too, if ya want."

"Don't let them see me like this."

The older girl could only imagine what was going through her friend's head as she glanced around the room, then her eyes settled on Jubilee's vivid blue ones once more. "Do ya want me ta do yoah hair?"

The young Chinese-American looked startled for a moment, then turned her head away, back toward the window, where the rain shimmered like fairies' wings as the sun reflected and refracted against it. She watched it for a moment, then looked back at the girl she had been sharing a room with before ... before everything, and she nodded. "Yeah. Do my hair."

(Written by Dana Night)

Jubilee trembled a bit as Paige pulled the brush through her hair, straightening it to it's normal spiky-locked shape. Teasing a few extra strands into place, Paige sat back and smiled at her, happy that she could help the younger girl when she was in such a poor state.

"Ah didn't expect ya'll t' look like y' do." she mumbled, glancing at Jubilee.

"What did you think I'd look like after going through a window?" her face suddenly became a mask of pain again, saddened at bringing up the memories. "Did you think that I'd look like the same old me?"

"No. Ah thought yah'd be like, worse in a way, but better in uhthers. Just not like this." Paige smiled bashfully and then stood. "Do ya want me t' send Wolverine foah Jono an' Ange?"

"Do I look okay? Really?" Paige paused and then nodded, smiling again. "Okay, tell Wolvie t' get them."

"No need chica, we are already here." Angelo pushed open the door and walked over to her, Jono trailing behind casually. "Mrs. Summers said that Paige was gone and found her up here."

Behind the three friends, Logan walked in, more pushed by Jean and Hank than anything. The chatter suddenly stopped as the redhead and the two men watched the children interact with each other. Jubilee fidgeted in the bed, pulling the covers straight as Angelo propped himself up on the side of the bed, Jono sitting on the couch and Paige still standing behind Angelo cautiously, twiddling her fingers together.

"I'm okay." Jubilee scowled at Hank as he moved to talk with her. He nodded and backed away, turning to go out the door. Jean frowned contemplatively and sighed, knowing it was a lost war. Logan sat down firmly as she followed Hank out into the hallway again. "You can go too if ya want Wolvie, I got three other people in here watching me."

"No, I'm here to watch you don't tire yerself out. You just go ahead and talk, but I'm watching fer how she does." he sat back on the couch, Jono turning his attentions from the hairy man beside him to the girl on the bed again. He almost seemed to smile at her, and she gave a weak smile back, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

"How come you guys came?" she almost whispered to them, playing with the covers. "I mean, why didn't ya call or something first?"

"Um ... well ..." Paige smiled at Jono and Angelo and then turned to Jubilee again. "Like Ah said, we had t' get out o' the school befoah Miz Frost and Mistah Cassidy were up, so we skipped. If we'd'a called ya, she'd find out right away befoah we even left by the telephone bill."

Jubilee smiled happily, clapping her hands together a bit. "Bravo! You guys really figured it out this time. Not like last time when you called and used her credit cards to get where you were going eh?"

Angelo smiled bashfully and Jubilee chuckled but then stopped, the pain in her stomach becoming more intense with the movement. "Chica, you okay?"

"Fine. I ... uh ... hurt my stomach the other day." Logan looked over at her carefully, studying her as she moved a bit from the discomfort. So Jubilee's chosen the 'don't-tell-everything-just-something's' approach, he thought to himself, biting down on a cigar.

"Darlin' I'm going to go and get some more coffee and smoke my cigar outside. I'll be back up in a bit to kick 'em all out." he stood and waited for her to respond before moving to the doorway to leave.

(Written by Nova Zion)

With all adults gone from the room, the three visiting teens exploded with comments and questions, each knowing their time was very limited. Closing her eyes, Jubilee held up a hand, and the room fell silent once more, all eyes upon her, watching expectantly. "I'm fine," she said to no one in particular, knowing this was the first and foremost question on everyone's mind. "I got a couple a cracked ribs, which're healin', my back's kinda scraped up, I sprained my wrist, but it's better, an' I gave myself this gash. Swear on yer soul no one but Ev an' Monet know." The three nodded solemnly. "So, uh, how long're ya stayin'?"

Angelo fielded this. "Actually, chica, just until Emma 'n' Sean get wind a us bein' gone."

"But Ah'd lahke t' stay longer," interrupted Paige, "if it's okay with you. Ah mean ... well Ah jus' thought maybe ya may want someone yoah own age evera once in a while, t' chat with. Ah could sleep in yoah old room, since it looks lahke y'all 're stayin' in heah. Ah could be in with a snap a yoah fingahs, an' out just as fast. But if ya don't think ya need-"

"No," Jubilee cut in. "That'd be neat."

Paige and Angelo beamed, while Jono tried to project waves of happiness at her, but only succeeded in a sparkle in his bright green eyes and a crinkle at their corners.

"How're ya gonna 'okay it' with the adults, though?"

Jono reached over and grasped the girl's hand with a tenderness she'd never felt from him before. Rubbing a thumb over the several tiny bumps that pocked the back of her hand, indicating where many IV's had been inserted, he told her softly, making his "voice" as unintrusive as he possibly could, *Luv, around here, a word from your mouth is law.*

(Written by Dana Night)