~*~

--Betty Boo (Doin' The Do).

~*~

If there was one thing that put her off of him, it was the fact he was blonde. She didn't like blonde. Not after what happened before. What wasn't so bad was that it was a shaggy long blonde of angelic curls, a weathered running in the sunshine and sand blonde that only the naturally blonde possessed. His eyes were the sparkling blue of the shallow sea of the most tropical of islands, and his smile the clean delicious white of movie-star possesion. Yes... he was certainly fine.

She didn't like him though, couldn't like him. He was funny and charismatic and a charmer and he was soon best friends with the young Remy LeBeau and he had the most awesome tanned body she'd ever seen but no - she couldn't like him.

Cause he was blonde.

Bobby had been blonde. And that was something that still scarred her.

She looked to the clean-cut Bobby across the class-room, grinning to someone and wiggling his shoulders with some look of flirtation. He'd become slowly more at ease of late, and flirted with women, just to test his charm. She knew where it all went though, all that energy.

She'd been the bitter result.

Best friends. They were still friends of a sort but the 'best' label had fallen away, and she was alone. Oh, Rogue and Jubilee stood by her and loved her to pieces but... you always knew a best friend. They were the closest, the best. Supportive and marvellous Rogue and Jubilee were, but they weren't just hers, like Bobby had been just hers.

Perhaps a best friend wasn't what she needed.

The shaggy blonde was at a desk in front of her, to her left. He grinned and hit the slightly older Remy LeBeau who was - by all means - old enough to be out of school like they were, but still trying to learn how to control his powers, hence his presense to some of the special classes. The new faces had caused a stir amongst the girls. Not her. She was sick of boys, she didn't trust them not to hurt her.

She'd pass notes to Jubilee during mutation control classes, mocking the newest young men to the school. Previously being a thief, Remy had a bad habit of wearing a strange black spandex body-suit under his clothing. Apparently it was to help him control his powers some - it was a matter of convenience rather than necessity. Either way, he cut the top of the scalp off of his head-peice and his thick glossy auburn hair would tumble out the top like an odd muppet-thing. Jubilee loved to poke fun at it - and Remy. She'd endlessly tease him and she knew her impact - she was the only girl that didn't turn to putty in the handsome man's presense.

The shaggy blonde - Cameron McMannus - held the shameless guile of a man with good looks. He however differed from Remy LeBeau. Where the Cajun would charm and intrigue with his mysterious ways, Cameron, or 'Cammo' as his chosen alias, would be brutally open and candid and completely, completely laid back.

It killed her, cause before Bobby, she'd have been fawning at his feet faster than a freshman to Logan's. Now, she just ran, because she refused to like him.

The thing that annoyed her the most about him, was how damned achingly sexy he was. He was laid back - too laid back - and he'd give a winsome smile that could kill. That was without him speaking, in that damned accent. Stupid accent, stupid cultural differences that made it too adorable, like calling the bathroom the 'toilet' and the cookies 'biscuits' and sweaters 'jumpers'. His name wasn't even appropriate for his nationality. Shouldn't he have been called something like 'Ralf' or 'Bruce' or 'Jack' or something? Wasn't that what Australians were called? What was with Cameron?

When this finally annoyed her enough to bring it up with him, he kinda laughed and said how very Australian his name actually was. She said no - it was Scottish. With all the 'mcing' and the 'cam-ing'. He just laughed again and said something about her name being the strangest name he'd ever heard. She just glared at him and stalked off.

Jerk.

~*~

She'd told them once, she'd told them a thousand times.

Eyes. Off. Logan.

She'd said to every student and female that came through that door "Logan is mine. I wear the tags, he is mine."

Yet somehow, the actual man of her claiming had managed to totally miss the fact he belonged to anyone at all. Sure, it wasn't like they were going out or anything, but Marie figured she was nineteen now, and it was old enough that she wanted to rip of Logan's clothes and know him more intimately than the inseperable close friends they'd become. She wondered if he realised she had curves that killed, that she had chains of young and not so young boys traipsing after her all the time, that the more attractive of them - Remy LeBeau - was on her hot little tail.

No. He just did his lonesome Logan thing while she applied herself at school, and when she was free of her academic duties, they'd be together. Always, every time. She couldn't even name what it was about Logan that she adored so much. Perhaps it was that around everyone else he was a hardass, but around her he was sweet and tender and a little more open that he was with anyone else. It felt special, bringing that out in him.

Special, however, only went so far. Especially when some of the blossoming women around her seemed to ignore her adamant statement, for it wasn't known if they were actually an 'item' or not. No one knew. Not even the two involved. So the girls tested the waters, and flirted, and smiled and eyed ample musculature and rough hairy body parts in the gym.

This made Rogue invariably mad. What the girls hadn't realised yet is a pissed off Rogue wasn't a good thing. The girls weren't her concern however. Her concern was a certain six-foot doofus that seemed to have no idea that his long time 'little friend' was getting a slight bit tetchy at his apparent lack of keen observational skills.

She had to do something about this. She had tried subtlety. Accidental bumps of covered flesh, pouty looks and affectionate snuggles. Suggestions for outings, general time spending.

The problem was rather intricate, however, because their regular behaviour was so close to that of a normal couple that Rogue's attempts to further their relationship could have been too easily misconstrued as normal everyday behaviour. Well, things had to be done, situations changed, and obviously it was up to her to do it.

Marie, the Rogue, was on a mission.

~*~

Jubilation Lee was bored out of her skull. The class they were in, one shared by high-school graduates and students alike, was full, hot and tedious. Jean and Scott paced out the front of the class, outlining situations and standards and why mutants use their powers and when and blah blah BLAH! Her best friends, Kitty and Rogue were... obviously distracted. Kitty was staring at the new boy with a look of mild disgust, flicking the odd scowl of contempt in Gambit's way. Ugh... that idiot. She didn't blame Kitty for the looks she was shooting. She couldn't stand the man - well - that wasn't entirely true. She liked being around him, if only to shoot down his tremendous ego. It made her sick, truly and utterly sick. What made her sick the most was that the man actually had the looks to carry of this famous ego, and girls didn't tell him to go get fucked like she did. She felt like the only one around who still had brains. Even Rogue smiled coyly at him, in between running after Logan.

She sighed and looked to Rogue. Daydreaming again by the looks of things, and fingering those damn tags. Dogs balls, did she ever take those stupid things off?! No, she didn't, Jubes remembered, and chewed on the end of her pen fitfully.

Remy turned and thwapped Cameron in the side of the head with his notebook.

"Remy!"

The fellow turned and glanced to Jean who stared at him darkly.

"How old are you?"

Remy blushed, "Twenny-two, Ma'am."

"Then act it," she said, grabbing a new piece of chalk from a chalk-box on the front desk and turning back to the black-board.

Of course Remy just smirked and shrugged at Cammo who still rubbed his head gingerly.

Jubilee shook her head, looking to Bobby at her right. She glowered. He was grinning stupidly at St. John. She blew a breath through her cheeks in defeat.

Why couldn't the new boys have at least half a brain? Rogue was smart, going after an older man. Well, sure, he technically could be counted as fifteen since that's all he could damn well remember and that would - that would make things confusing. It was confusing. She didn't like thinking about it in all honesty - so she shoved the whole situation away and looked to her notes.

Ability Management classes were a drag.

~*~

As Jean packed up the chalk and Scott wiped the blackboard, Rogue hugged her notebook and pencilcase to her chest, slinging her bag over her shoulder. She heard Kitty and Jubilee meet up behind her and chatter, their voices lowered in the usual hush of girls-in-confidence. It was then the unmistakably masculine and accented voice broke through to disturb her thoughts.

"Eeh, Petite!"

She turned around, meeting the ruby jewels that were Remy's black-edged eyes. Jubilee scoffed.

"Jesus, what are ya, the French Fonz?"

Remy blinked, "I am not Jesus, an' Fonz is good with the women, non?"

Jubilee rolled her eyes and curled an arm around Kitty's, "Pfft, he wishes."

"My Mom used to watch that show," mumbled Rogue, joining the girls as they strolled from the room. The young men strode along to keep in step with them, listening intently. "I don't remember much, only the Fonz, the dude with the red hair, and um - the themesong... kinda..."

"Sunday, Monday, Happy days...." sung Kitty softly.

Rogue tipped her head, "Tuesday, Wednesday, Happy days..."

By the third line the young men's deeper voices joined in.

"Thursday, Fridays, Happy days! Saturday - what a day... "

Jubilee threw an arm not loaded with books out in a dramatic flourish.

"Rockin' all week with youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!"

"Something happy days something... " Kitty frowned, "Shit..."

"These happy days are yours and mine," Jubilee sang, egging Kitty on.

"Oh right! These happy days are yours and miiiiiiiine!"

"Yours and miiiiiiine, haaaappy days!"

Remy and Cameron had fallen into silence, watching the girls sing madly, flailing happily. They giggled into silence, grinning at each other. Kitty sighed, the joy on her face fading.

"They were happy days..."

Jubilee gave the girl an uncertain stare, "Um, Kitty - it was a tv show..."

"No," Kitty said, "I mean - when that was on - or the repeats of that or whatever, and we were really little, I mean - didn't you race around in front of it, thinkin' one day you'd grow up and be Jem or..." She looked at Remy, "The Fonz?"

"I never be t'inkin' I'm de Fonz," Remy said, waving a hand and shaking his head. "I's more a He-Man kid."

"Yeah that'd be just about camp enough for you," Jubilee smirked.

"I loved He-Man," Cameron said, looking down at his feet and kicking at the polished floor of the corridors as they headed for the dining hall, "They used to show it with Spiderman and the Smurfs."

Remy nodded knowlingly.

"Cept I hated the Smurfs."

The others stared at him. Jubilee blinked.

"You hated the Smurfs?"

Cammo nodded thoroughly, "Despised them. They're little, they're blue, they're perky and they're badly drawn. Nuff said."

"Got a point, Mon Ami," nodded Remy, "You don' wanna know about French cartoons."

"That bad, uh?"

"You got no fuggin' idea," he said, digging into his coat and pulling out a pack of cards. Jubilee weaved around him to the other side of Rogue nervously.

"Woah - ha ha - keep those away from me."

Gambit blinked, "Eh - I be good wit' dese!"

Rogue snorted, "Hey - what's with Rogue the Human Shield all of a sudden anyways?!"

"You're the one who's got the invulnerability!" Jubilee grinned nervously.

Rogue was suddenly oblivious to it all, her eyes fixed on something ahead. Jubilee's cheeky look faded and she groaned.

"Oh... we're losing her...."

Gambit glanced up, seeing where her love-lorn gaze was headed. Logan sat on the edge of the table where the X-Men team sat, his arms crossed with the sleeves rolled up about halfway. Rogue smiled brightly as the man looked up and noticed her.

"And watch as Logan lights up like a Christmas tree," Kitty muttered with a sly grin.

"Kitty!" Jubilee gasped, "That snide remark was my line!"

"You cruise, you lose, petite," Remy grinned.

"Speak for yourself," Jubilee snarled, pointing at Rogue as she bounced off to meet Logan.

Gambit growled. "Merde."

~*~

Rogue didn't bounce. She didn't like to bounce, it wasn't in her nature. She slinked about in a cool manner, eyes warm and sultry. But today was different, so she bounced, breasts jiggling, hips swaying, thighs rippling as she ran up to him and hugged him tightly. He was hard and incredibly warm and smelt of that gorgeous old spicey cologne he always wore. She savoured the soft feel of the flannelette shirt in her face. Logan rose a brow and smiled at the girl suddenly wrapped around him, his hands settling to the small of her back.

"Hey, Marie. You comfortable there?"

She lay against him leaning on the table, hips snuggly against his. Glancing down she grinned.

"Yeah, all nice and nestled."

Logan gave a sigh and looked to Ororo, seated at the table next to him, tucking into salad and shaved ham.

"So how did the pick-up go?"

Logan shrugged, "Pretty routine. Get there, find the kid, bring him back."

Rogue smiled, "Well I'm glad you're back."

"That much is obvious," muttered Storm with a smirk.

Logan cocked a brow at her and shook his head. He looked back to Rogue and patted her hips.

"So - whatcha been upto?"

Rogue sighed, watching her fingers play in the folds of his shirt.

"Hangin' with the guys. Watchin' Remy and Jubes rip each other apart."

Ororo grinned up at her. "Always a spectator sport."

"He hasn't been giving you a hard time has he?"

Rogue saw the guarded glint in his eyes and smirked. "No. He's been talkin' all sweet and bringin' me flowers though."

She could have choked at the rage that edged in the sudden tightness of Logan's lips. She giggled.

"I'm kidding... no flowers."

Logan sighed with some relief and glared at her, "Don't do that to me, Marie. Someone's gonna get a claw up their ass for something they didn't do."

Rogue held in the snigger of glee that danced in her chest. Logan patted her side roughly and sighed.

"Come on - up ya get. Someone's bound to get the wrong idea..."

Ororo glanced up at that, her dark eyes sparkled with wariness. Rogue just felt a falling inside her, not the good type. It was a little sickening, and she pushed herself away.

"Well, wouldn't want that would we?"

Logan frowned, wincin a little, "I didn't mean-"

Rogue's brows fell into a furrow and she scowled. "No no, I understand."

She turned and stalked off, eyes set on Remy, Jubilee, Kitty and Cameron circled around their usual table. Logan groaned to himself, burying a face in his hand.

"I'm an idiot."

"Yes, you are," muttered Ororo into her carton of milk.

"And now that punk Gumbo is eyein' her off."

"With a vengance."

Logan gritted his teeth. "Shit!"

"Why did you even tell her to get off you if you're so in love with her?" Storm said, watching Logan sink down into the chair next to her. He glared at her.

"I'm not in love with her!" he said, pointing at her sharply, "We're just -we're close, got it? Real close. And that french fag is not good enough for Marie!"

Ororo smirked, "Oh really? Who do you suggest is good enough for her then?"

He shrugged, "I dunno. But no one in this school that's for sure. Don't trust a one of 'em."

Storm laughed, digging at her salad. "You're a poor mixed up fellow, Logan."

He scowled at her. "I'm not."

"You are."

"I'm not arguing this with you."

She shrugged, "Fine."

"Is the juice any good?"

She gave a so-so sign before tucking a pearly lock behind her ear.

~*~

Rogue sank down at the table, growling under her breath. She didn't even get anything to eat. How could she eat. Telling her to get off him like some -grrr!! God he felt good though... No! Damn! She sank her gloved fingers into her hair and whimpered. This wasn't fair. She'd gone crazy with him away for that week, all the way in Alaska. Damn she just wanted to elope into the bedroom like they always did and throw paper balls at his head and piss him off and laugh with him and oh GOD she loved him.

"Wassup, cheri?"

Rogue looked up, her eyes dark. "Nothing."

Kitty frowned, Cameron parked next to her, picking at her chocolate pudding. She smacked him and looked to Rogue. "No really - what's wrong?

Rogue shook her head, watching Cameron wag his hand and pout.

"Cameron - get outta my lunch dammit!"

He looked up at her, jutting his bottom lip out a bit.

"That's not going to work."

Rogue suddenly felt Jubilee lean closer to her, jewellrey chinking.

"Sweety, what the hell is wrong?"

"Logan told me to get off his lap before anyone got the wrong idea."

Jubilee sucked in a sharp breath, "Ouch..."

Rogue nodded, battling tears.

"Bastard."

"No," Rogue shook her head, "He's not a bastard, okay? He's just - he's got every right to think that, you know? I just - I'm the idiot. Two years fawning after him, and like - what have I got to show for it?"

"A great ass," Remy mumbled.

Rogue glared at him, and he sank back down to his meal. Jubilee rolled her eyes.

"Listen Rogue, beating yourself up over this is not going to help you. I say just - move on man. Cut the jerk loose."

She looked at her best friend for a long moment, her eyes filled with incomprehension.

"Ah - I can't, Jubilee."

Leaning her head on her hand firmly, Jubilee eyed her. "Why not?"

"Well-" Rogue breathed heavily, her eyes searching the table for any words that could describe the tulmut of emotions within her. She sucked her lips a moment then looked back to Jubilee, "He's like - inside of me. Not just in mah head, ya know? When you know somebody as intimately as I know Logan ya... ya can't just cut 'em loose like that you... you can't. It's like cutting off a part of your soul."

Kitty sniffled, "That's so beautiful."

Jubilee rolled her eyes.

"Oh Geez, listen girl - you CAN cut him loose and you will!"

"Zactly," nodded Remy, grabbing her hand suddenly, "I say you an' me - we go 'ave a nice meal, a walk - jus' you an' me all friendly, non?"

Rogue sighed, her frame sinking, "Oh Remy... I don't know..."

She looked to Jubilee, who pursed her lips, staring at Remy a moment. The eurasian lightened suddenly, smiling. The smile was stiff somehow, thin.

"That's a great idea," she said, "I say do it!"

Remy blinked, "You do?"

Rogue shook her head, "Now - no I can't Remy."

"Rogue!" Jubilee said, glaring at her, "You are going on a date with Remy -whether you like him like that or not. It's an exercise got it - and exercise in going out and having a good time with-OUT Logan!"

~*~

"That Cajun suvva-bitch. I'll rip his testicles off and make him some earrings."

Ororo glowered, looking to Scott with a quiet suffering.

"Naah, earrings are too good for him."

"Logan," Jean said, leaning on her hand, "Will you just go over there and apologize already?"

He glared at the redhead, "I got nothin to apologize for!"

Jean blinked, "Well - whatever it is you gotta do to stop Rogue sulking and actually paying attention to Remy - do it."

The ears weren't listening to Jean. They were twitching, homing in on a certain tone that he knew too well, his eyes were glinting as he watched carefully. It was then he saw the haphazardly gloved hand of Remy LeBeau grab Rogue's.

Hot metal burst through his hands as he grabbed Storm's carton of juice. She gasped.

"Logan!"

He looked down. The tangy scent of citrus pervaded him as he looked to his claws sunk deep into the cardboard. He hissed suddenly, closing his eyes.

"Acid - in the skin! ACID!"

Jean smirked, "Serves you right."

He glared at her. She handed him a napkin, and watched him a moment as he mopped at his hands.

"So, have any of you noticed how close John and Bobby have been getting lately?"

Scott shook his head, then stopped suddenly. He looked up at her, lips open and smiling.

"Jean... you're not suggesting..."

She shrugged with a rise of her brows, "Who knows."

Storm's face was in a frown, deep pondering on her face as she stared off, "You know, I swear I saw him checking out Logan's behind the other day..."

Logan choked. "What?!"

Scott sniggered, Jean smirking knowingly.

"Oh yeah," Jean nodded, "I think he's gay. Or at least bi."

"It's really none of our business you know," said Scott, playing with a straw.

"It's fun to speculate," Storm said, "Besides, it's good to keep tabs on the students, know what they're up to."

"Son of a bitch!"

The X-Men looked up to where Logan was staring. Rogue was standing now, as if she'd been walking away from the table where she'd been sitting. Remy, however, had both her hands in his, pulling her to him and smiling the most dashing smile he could muster. Rogue just looked wary.

"Wow, Jubes looks pissed," Scott murmered. Ororo choked on her drink, or what was left of it.

"Uh - you're dreaming, Scott," she said, "Jubilee hates Gambit with a passion."

"Hey, just saying what I see, man."

Logan grit his teeth, and jumped to his feet, storming over to the scene.

Ororo groaned, "Oh no..."

~*~

Rogue pursed her lips, sighing at Remy pulling her arms around him. He was so - very very attractive and sweet and romantic - and the eyes, as red and freaky as they were, were somehow alluring. But... oh God damn. Those fucking hazel eyes would haunt her every time she closed her eyes. The sickening swell of rejection would rise within her though, fuelling her on to let her hands fall against lithe muscled body, gaze at affectionare ruby orbs. It all felt wrong.

Not that she had much of a chance to think on it, since Remy suddenly wheezed as he was yanked away by the collar. Logan pulled him close, teeth beared in a deep growl.

"You leave her alone, Frenchy."

"Logan! Stop it!"

"Eh," Gambit shrugged, "It's okay cheri, I can deal with it."

"Yeah, you better," Logan snarled. He looked to Rogue, "He been fucking with you?"

Rogue sighed and rolled her eyes, "No, he was working on that before you went caveman on his ass."

Uncertaintly flashed on Logan's features, and he looked to Remy.

"She's a lady, you remember that."

Gambit merely sneered, "She sure as shit ain't yours, mon ami."

Rogue looked down, heart crunching.

"There won't be any of you left if you treat her like a two dollar hooker, ya got that?"

Gambit nodded amiably, "Eh, sure, Papa Wolverine!"

With another snarl Logan shoved him away. When his eyes finally fell upon Rogue, she felt her whole body tense, her teeth clenching in rage.

"You fucking pig!"

He glared at her, "What?!"

"You think you can dictate my fucking love life?!"

He grumbled, "I'm just doin' what's best for you. That guy-"

"It's MY LIFE Logan," she said, "And since your lap is no place for me I think I have a right to test out Remy's if I want!"

At that she grabbed Remy by the buns and pulled him towards her, crunching her hips into his. The poor man yelped.

"Uh - Rogue I be thinkin' we save dis for the date, non?"

Logan snarled, "Date my fucking ass!"

Rogue threw Remy aside, the fellow falling to the floor at the force of the throw, "I beg your pardon?!"

"This is about the lap thing right?!" He snorted, "Jesus Christ, Marie - we were in public!"

She huffed, "Fuck the lap thing! You're a coward!"

She could see his jaw suddenly clenching, his eyes fiery.

"You think I'm a coward?" he rumbled, "You think every man with a metal skeleton is gonna face off a guy that could play Uri Geller with his ass to save your hide?!"

She growled deep, "Don't you DARE put that over mah head, Logan! You know there was more at stake than that!"

"It was all I could fucking think about at the time!"

He stopped, whole body suddenly stiffening. Glancing around, he saw the agog faces of students and his comrades at the teacher's table alike. Deep red-hot embarrassment sank through him, until he looked to Rogue.

Her eyes were to the brim in tears, brows twitching down in incomprehension. She shook her head.

"It's not gonna work," she said softly, "And I'm not letting you fuck with me like that."

She turned on her heel and strode from the dining hall, leaving Remy and Logan with each other. With a slice of alloy Logan's claws sprung out of his arm, and he growled deeply.

"Eh - dis ain' my fault, Papa-"

The colour drained from the man's face as Logan's clawed fist went flying into his abdomen. He let out a panicked yelp until he realised that the aching in his stomach was completely muscular. He looked down at Logan's hand.

The claws were in.

"You tricked me!"

Logan sneered, "You dare take a step in the wrong direction with her and the claws won't be disappearing the next time 'round."

Logan stiffened as Scott dragged him back, the leader's jaw tense.

"Logan... you wanna behave like a grade-A jerk you find somewhere else to stay, you got that?"

Logan shook his head, giving a stubborn sniff, "You gotta tell that to Remy too? Hmm?"

Scott turned his head to Gambit nodding, "Remy's been warned before. This isn't a damn bar, it's a house, a home. Remember that."

After a deep growl rumbled in Logan's chest, he snarled, loping off out the dining hall. Remy gritted is teeth, starting after him.

"Remy! Get back here!"

With a wave of an arm, the Cajun let the bird fly. Cyclops' jaw dropped.

"Hey! You don't give the Fearless Leader the bird!!!"

Storm shook her head from the table, "It's okay, Scott, I'll charge their rooms with static later."

~*~

Kitty Pryde had watched the scene with a slight sense of amusement, but it didn't stay with her for long, not through Rogue's bizarre and rather melodramatic actions, and not through the almost fist-fight that nearly broke out between two of the most treasured members of the school. It all lead her to one astounding conclusion.

Logan was a halfwit.

And so was Cameron. He sat next to her, leering, shaking his head in wonder.

"That guy is so cool."

"What guy?" she frowned.

"Wolverine!" Cameron said, "I mean, he's an asshole, but what a mutation. I mean - claws. What did I get - camoflauging skin - big deal."

"It's rather useful you know," said Kitty, "At least it's not like Rogue's."

"Yeah that'd suck," he said, "Good point."

She sighed, watching the tussle break up. Poor Cyke. He always got the brunt of the aggrivation, always being the peacemaker. Somehow, she knew that one day she'd be in the same damned position.

"I'm going," she said, crunching her empty carton of chocolate milk onto her tray, "Seeya."

When she turned to glance at the blonde haired dork she sighed. He looked like a dejected dog. Shaking her head she made her way out of the hall. She had to study, to go see if Rogue was okay - anything to get her mind off lunch and Cameron sitting so close and looking so cute and smelling so nice and talking in that stupid accent.

That's when she slammed right into Bobby.

"Oh - there you are," he said, "I was about to come looking for you."

She looked up, frowning at him. "You weren't at lunch?"

"Ah, no," he said, "I grabbed something from the kitchen and ran."

"Wow..." she sighed, still walking towards her room, Bobby skipping to pace her, "You missed a show."

"Logan again?"

Kitty smiled and shrugged, "How'd ya guess?"

Bobby tipped his head and narrowed his eyes, and Kitty laughed.

"Yeah, kind of a stupid question." She walked in silence for a moment till she dragged her feet to a halt at the base of the grandiose stairs that led to the upper levels. She turned and looked to him, a tenderness in her voice, "How're you doing anyways?"

He sighed, and she saw that flicker in those blue eyes that always tipped her off when there was something wrong.

"Things-" He stopped, gripping the balistrade next to us, "Things aren't going too well with me and Johnny..."

Her heart sank. She didn't know why she was suddenly sad - whether it was for him, or for the fact that he wasn't changing his mind about his sexuality any time soon. It still hurt her. She sighed, tilting her head.

"How?"

He shifted uncomfortably, "Can we go somewhere private?"

She nodded, "Sure."

So she walked with him in the gardens till they came to the fateful tree where he'd shown his true colours, and as they sat on the lush lawn under the well known oak, she felt a shudder run through her, an icky shudder she hated when she was around him.

"So, what's wrong?"

Bobby shook his head, folding his knees up to his chin and wrapping his arm around them, "Things are weird."

"In what way?"

Bobby turned his head and met her eyes, pain in them, "He said he didn't think he was gay."

Kitty's heart stang again and she knew, the pain in her heart was for him. With a shaking arm she wrapped it around his firm shoulders, leaning her head on one with a gentle sigh. He leant his head on her a moment and sighed himself.

"I - I didn't really have anyone else to talk to- I hope you don't mind-"

"No," she shook her head, "No it's okay, Bobby. We're best friends. Or we used to be anyway."

"Things have been different, haven't they?"

"Yep," said Kitty.

"Is it because of-"

"No," she said, "You lied to me, Bobby. That's why I kept away from you."

He nodded, and silence fell between them again. It wasn't an uncomfortable one, it was one well-understood. Letting her arm fall away she wrapped her arms around her knees, chin pressed into the dip between them.

"What makes Johnny think he's not gay?"

Bobby shrugged, "I dunno. I mean - the sex has been great-"

Kitty broke into a cough, covering her face, and Bobby burned bright red, moving to get up.

"I should've known you can't handle it," he grumbled as he went to get up, but a hand tagged his arm. Kitty pulled him down, shaking her head.

"No no," Kitty sighed, blushing, "Look, I can't even sit around Jubilee talking sex, ya know? It's okay - just - sit down and - keep going."

Bobby took a long moment to think, angular lips pursing.

"Things were going just great. It's just - one day we were hanging out, and we were trying to keep things secret and I accidentally grabbed his hand-"

Kitty's eyes widened.

"What? Is that bad?"

She shook her head, sighing long, "No - it's embarrassing for you guys if you're trying to keep it secret, you doofus."

"Oh," He nodded, "Well I know. And the looks we got - let's just say people are starting to take notice and things are getting a little strained."

Kitty smiled, a bright knowing smile, and Bobby looked stricken.

"You think this is funny?"

Kitty shook her head, "No, I think it's sweet. I doubt he's suddenly not gay."

He frowned, "Stop throwing your woman logic at me and tell me what the hell you're talking about."

Kitty tilted her head, "He's shit scared, you dick."

Bobby snorted, "What's he got to be scared of?"

"Everyone else," she said, nudging him, "Same thing that you were scared of that made you date me."

Bobby sighed, burying his head in his hands, "This is so fucked up."

Kitty nodded long, "Yep.... yeah it is."

"So -" He looked up at her, "What's going on with that Aussie guy?"

The brunette girl growled and she got up, shaking her head, "Nothing. Totally nothing."

"You're kidding me, right?"

Kitty glanced back at him still getting up, "No. He's a jerk."

Bobby looked a little amused and she growled.

"What's so damn funny?!"

"You in denial," smirked Bobby.

"Oh, shut up," Kitty snarled, wrapping her arms about herself as Bobby walked along beside her. "This isn't some stupid damned sitcom or whatever, I'm not Princess Leia. I don't trust the guy, I don't LIKE the guy."

"If that's the case then I'd stop stringing the poor guy along."

The long train that was Kitty's temper snapped, and she spun around, glaring at Bobby.

"I BEG your PARDON!?"

"You," he said, pointing at her, "You totally stare at him all the time."

"With complete disgust maybe," Kitty muttered.

"Possibly," he said, "You sit next to him a lot."

"He sits next to ME!" she cried.

"You talk to him-"

"Since when did that constitute MARRIAGE?!"

"It doesn't," he said, then gave a cheeky smile, "But you tend to do that -thing with the hair."

She frowned, "What thing with the hair?"

Bobby dipped his head to the side, running his forefinger across invisible bangs, and tipping his head the other way he gave a dramatic sigh. Or he tried to, but he coughed and laughed at Kitty's sudden assault of angry thumps and punches.

"You are SUCH an asshole!" she cried, joviality in her eyes, "Dammit - I don't do that!"

"You do man! You used to do it to me!"

She sighed and shook her head, "Well - it's not a conscious thing okay? I really don't like him like that."

Bobby smiled and nodded, "Okay."

Kitty tilted her head, "So - what are you going to do about Johnny?"

He shrugged, "Don't know what I can do."

"Did you try talking to the Professor about it?"

Bobby looked to her, "Well, I did talk to him about me being gay but - I didn't bring Johnny into it."

"He probably knows about him anyway," said Kitty.

"Yeah," Bobby nodded. "I'll think about it. Thanks, Kitty."

Kitty pulled Bobby into a hug and smiled, "It's okay."

She walked away, casting back a glance to Bobby as he sank and sat against the three. He was more troubled than he ever was before, she could feel that. It split her in two... On one hand, she felt a little vindicated, the pain she'd felt from his admission before blinding and humiliating. On the other, she saw a once trusted and treasured friend in more pain than he really should ever be over something so trivial as the gender of his romantic interests.

Life was a relentlessly cruel bitch, however, and everyone got their own dose of agony. Despite the light pastel clothes and sweet smiles, Kitty knew this all too well.

~*~

Rogue stalked the room, fists clenched, teeth beared. Grabbing a soft stuffed animal off of Jubilee's bed, she launched it across the room with a screech.

"HEY!" Jubilee cried, jumping up and chasing after the teddy-bear, "No abuse for Mr. Pinkee!"

Rogue scowled, "He's a bear, Ju."

Jubilee hugged the bear to her and lifted her nose, "It's the first thing I ever stole!"

Rogue shook her head with a snort, "You're fucking unbelievable. Please remind me never to take any advice from you again."

Jubilee's eyes widened and she let her jaw drop.

"Oh that's just LOVEly!" she gasped, "I listen to you bitch and moan over Logan for fucking three years and then I tell you to get a hide you blame ME when it goes hairy!"

Rogue blinked at Jubilee, who swallowed.

"Pardon the PUN!" she added hotly. They glared at each other for a long moment, till Rogue sighed. She plodded over to her friend, plucking Mr. Pinkee from her hands and sliding her arms around the plush bear, dropping a kiss on it's head.

"I'm sorry," she said, handing the bear back to Jubes, "I know how much Mr. Pinkee means to ya. I'm just -"

Jubilee tilted up her brows in sympathy as tears spilled from Rogue's red eyes.

"I'm so damned confused!"

Jubilee pulled Rogue down to the bed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm serious, Rogue - you need to step out on your own for a while. Be independent, just for you, ya know? The worst thing for you is to be some kinda lap-dog for Logan."

Rogue sniffled, "It's such a nice lap though."

"Hell," Jubes sighed, sinking her head in her hand, "What am I gonna do with you girl?"

She felt Rogue shrug and she met the brow eyes firmly.

"You can have that lap - you just - don't be crawling into it, ya know what I mean?"

Rogue nodded.

"You demand him to sit - and he sits. You sit in that lap cause YOU wanna, not cause you'd do anything to be there. I mean, you already got a strong thing goin' for you, take it a step further."

Rogue sighed and shook her head, "Ah know this, I know it I just - it's easy to forget when you're confronted with- well-"

"Six foot of hunky monkey," finished Jubilee ruefully.

Rogue nodded and sighed, "Exactly."

Jubilee sat up, crossing her legs elegantly, "I say it's payback time."

"Huh?"

Jubilee blinked at Rogue, "He's been ultra-sexy around you for ages. I say we turn the tables! And fuck with Remy's head in the meantime!"

Rogue looked incredulous.

"He deserves it," Jubilee said flatly, "With all that sexist 'petite' and 'chere' shit."

"He's just tryin' to be charmin'," Rogue smiled with tilted brows.

"Yeah well he's living in the wrong century for that!" huffed Jubes.

Rogue frowned, pursing her lips askew. She cocked a hip, propping a hand on it.

"Hey... If you think he's such a dog why were you tryin' to get ME to go out with him in the dinin' hall?"

Jubes shrugged with a glint of mischief in her eyes.

"Cauuuuuse... I knew you'd go back to Logan in the end?"

Rogue rolled her eyes and sighed, "You're unbelieveable!"

Jubes grinned and shrugged again.

"Okay," Rogue sat down on the bed, "What do you think I should do about Logan -you seem to have some big ideas in ya head."

Rubbing her hands together Jubilee sat down on the bed with her, "Oooh I got a lot of ideas, Rogue!"

~*~

She was getting sick of his pacing. The Danger Room was generally for combat practice, not pacing and bitching and whining about one's misbehaving girlfriend, official or no. Storm played with a crackling current of static between her hands, rising a dark brow at Logan as he ripped his claws through a replaceable steel bulkhead supporting several branches of duelling equipment. With a clanging crash the metal structure fell to the floor. Storm winced, letting the static in her hands dissipate.

"Logan, will you calm down?"

He grunted. "Why should I?"

"You've been ranting for half an hour now," she said wearily, "And you've accomplished nothing apart from destroying the Danger Room."

He looked about him. True, many of the walls were filled with triple gouges, entire sections ripped from their housing. He sighed, kneeling on the floor and running suddenly unclawed fingers through his hair.

"This is fucking ridiculous," he moaned. Storm rolled her eyes and strolled over, sitting down next to him.

"Why don't you just tell her how you feel?"

Logan glared at her like she was mad. "What?!"

"You. How YOU feel. Towards Rogue."

He narrowed his eyes, "What about what I feel about her?"

Storm rolled her eyes again and withdrew her arm from around him, "Logan - don't play dumb."

"I'm not playing-"

"Oh come one," she scoffed, "We've been through this, Logan, I'm not repeating myself-"

"Oh Jesus," he groaned, "For the last fucking time, I'm not in love with her!"

Storm sighed, "No, you're just gutting the Danger Room cause you're having a sugar-low."

"Funny..."

"Your behaviour isn't!" said Storm sharply, "If there's one thing that annoys the hell out of me it's people in denial!"

He looked at Storm with a solid stare, "I'm really, really not in denial."

Narrowing her eyes, she read the features of the man a long moment, and gasped.

"My Gods," she sighed, "You really aren't in denial!"

He tilted his head with relief, "Yeah, see?!"

"You have no idea you're in love with her at all!"

Logan whimpered.

Ororo placed her hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eyes again. "Okay, Logan - I'm going to play a little game-"

"I don't like games," he growled.

"This one is a good one," she said, making him sit down on his bottom instead crouching on his haunches. "Now, I'll say a word, I want you to say the first thing that comes to your mind, okay?"

He grumbled and nodded.

"Right. Tree."

"Grass."

She nodded, "Green."

"Blue."

"Sky."

He sighed, "Falling."

Storm smirked. "Catching."

"Glove."

She grinned again, and Logan grumbled. "I mean - a mitt! I meant mitt!"

"Right," she nodded. "Okay - scarf."

"Neck."

Storm grinned, "Face."

Logan's gaze at the floor grew distant. "Lips..."

Storm let out a chuckle and he swore, smacking his face.

"Christ! I meant - I didn't - Oh God."

Storm gave him a long look and cocked a brow.

"Oh God - I can't - I can't be like this about Marie she's only-"

"Nineteen," said Ororo, "Twenty this month. She's not exactly a child anymore."

"I know," he said, "I know that very very well."

"And Remy is pretty persistent."

At the mention of the Cajun the previously sheathed claws sprung from his arm, and Storm gave a tense wince.

"Okay, remind me not to mention his name around you again."

"That rat bastard!" Logan growled, "Treatin' her like she's some quick fuck!"

Storm choked a moment and put a hand over her throat.

"Come on Logan, can't you believe he's genuinely interested in her?"

Logan shook his head thoroughly.

"Men like that aren't genuinely interested in anyone, Ro."

"Someone probably thought that of you too, once."

He growled, "Don't remind me."

He buried his head in his hands again, fingers sliding through the ruffled hair as the claws sunk back into his arms. Every part of him was clashing with the others, his heart thumping audibly in his ears. He looked to Ororo, who just gave him a sympathetic smile.

"So - you're in love with Marie?"

He sighed, "I - I dunno I just - I -"

Storm covered her face in her hands and moaned, "Just say it!!"

"I'm not sayin' something I'm not even sure of," he growled, "And I'm not sayin' it to YOU!"

He expected her to be offended at his rough tone, but she just cocked a brow.

"It's always two step forwards, ten steps back with you."

He sighed, "Look. Marie - she's - she's young. Fuck knows how old I am, I'm a prick, I'm rough and not nice-"

Storm tilted her head, "Point being?"

"I'm not good enough for her dammit!" he said with a sharp breath, "And I'm not letting any fuck within ten paces of her that isn't good enough for her either!"

"And who gave you that right?" the Weather Goddess asked him.

"I dunno," he grumbled, "But we're close, real close. I promised her I'd take care of her, and fuck me dead that's what I'm doin! Now - " He straightened, fidgeting with the collar of his uniform, "I'm goin' for a beer!"

~*~

Rogue spun in the mirror and cocked a brow. The pants were black and stretchy denim, making a party of her slender hips and her firm behind. The gloves she wore were short and ended with a lick of fabric at her wrists, her shirt silky and deep maroon, no buttons on the top half, and was done up with a knot firmly nestled between her breasts. Underneath this a slip of maroon fabric clothed the rest of her midriff. Beautiful pale creamy cleavage was presented like a christmas turkey on a platter, a gauzy blood-red scarf wrapped around her neck. Her hair was piled high on her head, platinum bolts split and meandering through her mahogany locks like cream in a six-dollar art-house coffee. Her make-up was light, a soft reddish-brown splashing her eyelids, a touch of gloss at her lips like crushed berries. Finally, her feet were elegantly heeled with high black boots reminiscent of Storm's.

Jubilee gave a low whistle.

"Remy is so gonna piss his pants."

Rogue smirked. "Ya think?"

Jubilee chuckled softly, "Duh. Remember - ya gotta strut in front of Logan first otherwise it's totally a waste of time."

"Of course," Rogue said. She dipped her head and stuck out her butt. "You sure the pants look fine?"

"Totally."

Jubilee smiled and sank down onto her bed, pulling out a Cosmo and flipping it open. Rogue turned, eyeing her best friend a long moment.

"Hey."

Jubes' eyes were fixed to the magazine's flashy articles. "Hmmm?"

"How come you never talk about who you like?"

Jubilee glanced up, a blush splashing the girl's cheeks. She laughed uneasily and flicked past a couple of pages hastily.

"I don't like anyone, dude."

Rogue frowned, sinking down onto the edge of the bed with her friend. "Oh come on, ya gotta like somebody."

Jubilee rolled her eyes and shook her head, not looking at Rogue at all.

"There are zilcho guys in this school, babe," she said, "They're all total losers. 'Cept Johnny, major babe he is but we all know which way he swings."

Too safe, thought Rogue. She sighed.

"It's just - you're so pretty and funny and stuff. I don't understand why you don't have guys all over you."

Finally, Jubilee looked up to Rogue, a sadness in the dark obsidian eyes. "I'm the kinda girl that doesn't get guys, Rogue. I'm loud, I'm obnoxious, and I don't fuck about with pleasantries. I lay it on the table. I had to when I ran away from home, n' I think you know what that's like."

Rogue nodded quietly.

"Except - you were lucky. You had your skin. Me - I had my wits and that was it. You don't live on the streets and stay sugar-sweet, ya know? What's left of any girliness? Fashion sense and a liking for malls... it's all I have. For that... I'm Jubilee. Give her a credit card and a shop and she'll be happy."

"Ah know that's not what you're like," Rogue said softly.

Jubilee frowned softly. "Tell that to the guys."

Rogue sighed, slipping an arm around her friend and squeezing her shoulders.

"I love you, Jubes," she said, "Don't forget that."

Jubilee smiled, still staring at the magazine. "Go on your date, Marie."

Planting a kiss on the girl's hair, Rogue sighed happily. "Thank you!"

Jubilee watched Rogue jump up and race to the door. "And shake your ass - shake it!"

Grinning, Rogue wiggled her butt before disappearing out the door.

~*~

The rec room was filled to burst with bored and studying x-students, and Logan took great pleasure in annoying them by smoking his cigars and watching some form of violent blood-sport whilst they whined about the episodes of Dawson's Creek or Sabrina: The Teenage Witch they were missing out on. He'd just lift an eye and glare and they'd back off, kicking various bits of furniture. He smelt the sudden proximity of a flowery scent, and glancing up he saw Kitty looking at the spot on the couch next to him.

"Kitty..."

She lifted her brows with uncertainty, "Huh?"

"What are you doing?"

She glared at the walkway and dove for the couch, grabbing a magazine and sinking down, hiding underneath it. He cocked a lip and blinked in incomprehension, till lazy footsteps approached him. He glowered.

"Hey dude," said Cameron, fiddling with his belt-pocket, "Howya doin'?"

Logan said nothing, just kept on glowering. Cameron pointed at the couch.

"Is that Kitty?"

Logan blinked. "Does it look like Kitty?"

Cameron nodded, "Indeed it does."

"Then it's Kitty."

"That's good." The boy nodded then sat down on the couch on the other side of the hiding girl, lifting the magazine and peering at her. "Wow."

"What?"

"Didn't know you were into naked girls on bikes."

Kitty glared at the magazine pictures not a breath away from her face with utter horror. Letting out a bleat of disgust, she threw it across the room. Cameron sniggered, and with a fitful huff Kitty smacked him and stormed off towards the bookshelves that were far, far from him. The blonde boy sighed.

Logan was still glowering.

"Shit."

"That wasn't smart, Kid."

Cameron shrugged, "Well I'm not very good at beating the living shit out of people for attention, I'm afraid."

Now Logan glared. Cameron sank back.

"Relax, man, it was a joke, ya know?"

Yeah, Logan thought, Ha ha.

~*~

Jubilee plodded into the hallway, seeking out the drinks machine stationed halfway towards the library at the end of the wing. She jingled the small change in her hand tiredly, rolling her head around, stretching her neck. She was stuck for something to do. She'd done up Rogue, and now Rogue was probably waiting for Remy. It was a Friday... it was pathetic cause it was a Friday and she had absolutely nothing to do.

Shoving the coins into the Coke machine, a door nearby clunked suddenly. She spared it a glance before going to shove another coin in, and registering who it was she pressed coins into the slot blindly, one bouncing off the surrounding surface of the machine and pinging on the floor.

Dammit. She stared anywhere but the scuffed boots loping down the hall towards her, the ripple of thin-leather thrench coat that fluttered in the cat-like gait. Her hand padded at the ground as she felt for the coin, trying to keep her eyes off the feet approaching, trying to stop her heart wishing they would stop in front of her.

She suddenly realised the coin was rolling away with a mind of it's own in the very direction she didn't want to look in. One foot stepped down on it, stopping it in it's tracks. A half-gloved hand reached down, picking it up, and she struggled to get to her feet and meet the eyes of it's owner. She would have scowled, would have demanded it back, but she couldn't. He was gazing at her, studying her features. She hated it when he did that.

He held up the quarter with a cock of a neat brow.

"You drop dis, Bon-bon?"

She frowned, wishing the shaking in her hands would stop, and she snatched the coin. "I'm not your fucking bon-bon."

She turned to the machine, shoving the coin in, but a set of fingertips touched her chin, turning her back delicately. She swore to herself, feeling the shaking reach her lips.

"Roses in your cheeks, petite," he muttered, brows dipping down as if he noticed for the first time she was actually female, "Makes for a beautiful picture, non?"

Jubilee pulled her face away in a rush, hitting the drinks machine for her drink.

"Like you'd notice," she breathed.

"Remy always notice," he said, taking a step closer to her, his chest pressing to her back, the backs of his knuckles slipping down over her hair, past her ears hung with lavish gold hoops, to the fuzzy yellow sweater she seemed to have more than one of. The machine gave a rude clunk, depositing the drink of Jubilee's choice into the lit recepticle. Grabbing it with a grit of her teeth, Jubilee spun around, pointing at Remy fiercely.

"Listen to me, Frog," she growled, "I know very well in five minutes you're off to go chase Rogue's panties, so don't play slut with me!"

Remy frowned.

"I mean, I don't know your game," she continued, "Maybe you figure after you hook up with Rogue you'll need someone to dip your dick in, I don't know, but you're not finding it with ME, you got that? Rogue means more to me than your slimey-assed hide so get the fuck out of my face before I rip it off and shove it down your neck!"

The Cajun shrugged, barely blinking as the blue-streak washed over him.

"I be thinkin' you don' give yourself the benefit of the doubt."

Jubilee narrowed her eyes, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I be goin' on a date with Marie," Remy said, "Not marryin' de girl. Remy be wantin' 'er for a long time."

She huffed, "No shit."

"Sometimes you want somethin' so much, you forget what you be doin'," He shrugged, "I think maybe I was still seein' a dream, non? I miss what's aroun' me."

Jubilee threw a scoff at him, but he just frowned, taking her chin between his thumb and knuckle.

"Remy guessin' you be afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

He levelled his gaze at her, narrowing his ruby eyes meaningfully, "Bein' a woman."

Rage bubbled up inside her, and with a sliding growl she slammed her fist into his shoulder, shoving him back away from her.

"FUCK YOU!"

She spun around, storming to her room. She didn't look back at him, didn't even give him a second glance. She was too angry, too hurt, too confused. God! Why confused? NO confused she was fine, just peachy and perfectly fine. Reaching her room she slammed the door behind her, and grabbing her pink fluffy bear she threw it across the room.

"Afraid of bein' a woman my ASS!"

Obviously he had no fear of being a testosterone poisoned half-witted MAN. Picking up her bear she growled, throwing it again. Rogue was certainly onto something with Mr.Pinkee therapy.

~*~

Taking a long drag of his cigar, Logan wedged the cigar between his two first fingers. The Aussie kid, Cammo, had retrieved the motorcycle magazine and was currently telling Logan all about the one his father had, and the dune buggies his uncle had, and how great dune-buggying was in Perth and how Logan should really really try it. He wondered what it was about himself that drew younger kids to him like a magnet. He couldn't understand it - he was openly aggresive and made a point of not wanting company. And yet half the time he was drowning in teenagers. Glancing back to the young blonde fellow, he noticed that Cameron's face had gone blank, jaw slack, eyes glazed over as if Aphrodite herself had walked into the room. Wedging his cigar back in his teeth, Logan glanced to the door.

And choked. Fuck me, he thought with some slight delirium as any oxygen that belonged in his brain rushed elsewhere, It is Aphrodite...

Her movements were like pure hot butter. He couldn't remember her rolling her hips so deliciously before, no no, oh God no... She slinked over to the fussball table where the boys had previously minding their own business. Their business soon turned to Rogue as she leant on the table, obscuring the play a little, and grinned. Had Logan had the presence of mind he'd have listened in to what she had said.

All he could do was watch her glistening lips move. How'd she get them looking so nice? He took a slight sniff of the air. Berry lip-gloss. His body shuddered. She turned away from the table, and headed straight for the couch... he was sitting on.

Cameron gulped, "Mother..."

"Not mother," grunted Logan. "Baby..."

Cameron glared at him and grinned.

"Hey Logan," she said, swaying her head so her hair fell down in a luxurious curtain of mahogany and ice, "Ya seen Remy about?"

He felt something in him crunch. "No."

She pursed her lips, "Hmmmm..."

Then the temptress bent over, folding her arms on the edge of the couch, the press of her breasts bound in maroon silk nearly causing a few of Logan's arteries to burst. She looked to him, frowning.

"You know you're probably scaring him away, hangin' around in here..."

He grit his teeth around his cigar, "I'll fuck off if you like."

She grinned, "Naw, I'm sure if you behave he might come out to play."

Cameron gave a high-pitched laugh, eyes glaring at her with disbelief. Rogue looked to him and batted her lashes.

"Hey Cammo honey."

"You scrub up orright, ya know."

Rogue grinned, giggling, "Thank you."

Logan felt another few veins in his head grow suddenly pressured. Jumping to his feet he grabbed her arm, despite her ardent and colourful protests, dragging her into the hallway nearby.

She glared at him, shoving him against the wall, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

He glared right back at her, "Stopping you from whoring yourself!"

She gasped, and with a swift swing she thumped him in the stomach.

"OOph!" He doubled over, writhing against the wall, "What the fuck was that for?!"

"You!" she shouted, "Bein' a PIG!"

He glared at her, "WHAT?!"

"Is there a damn rule aroun' here that cause o' my skin Ah'm not allowed to look nice?! Huh?!"

"You always look nice!" he shouted back at her.

She pouted. Okay - that she wasn't planning on. She grit her teeth. "You're doin' it again!"

"Huh? Doing what?!"

She pulled her face down in a frown, "Every time I have a really good point to get angry at you over your shitty behaviour you go and say something sweet and it's NOT going to work with me Logan!"

He snorted, "Whaddaya mean workin' with ya - I'm just tellin' you how I feel!"

She grew silent, pacing a little, glaring at him darkly. "Fuckin' pig."

"Just stop it!" he growled. "It's not like you Marie."

"What, swearin'?"

"No, throwin' yourself at those boys!"

"Least somebody roun' here notices I'm not fahve years old!"

He grit his teeth, shaking his head.

"What - you don't like it?! Huh? Well get used to it bucko!"

Suddenly, a throat cleared, and Rogue straightened. Logan turned his head, feeling a little ridiculous slumped and cowering against a red-wood panelled wall, and he stood, straightening himself out. Standing in the hall was Remy Le Beau, looking incredibly amused.

"What - Old-Papa bashing become a national sport an' nobody told Remy eh?"

Thankfully, Rogue rolled her eyes, pressing a hand against Logan's chest as his claws sprung from his arms.

"Remy - can it. Logan," She eyed him, "Behave okay? Ah'm goin'. Seeya."

She turned, the fluid slip and flick of her behind nearly knocking him to the ground as she strode over to Remy, hooking an arm with his. He watched her leave, a low growl growing inside of him as she disappeared around the corner. He wasn't sure how it had gotten to this, but he didn't like it. Not one damned bit.

~*~

The upset in her stomach was incomprehensible. She dug to ignore it, she studied and concentrated on other things. She convinced Kitty that she should have a make-over, made her over, and then watched as the girl washed her face in horror at the bold make-up she'd painted on her face. Well... it worked for Rogue, what was she bitching about? OH yeah - she'd seen Remy's face when those red eyes of his fell on the beauty that was Rogue in tight pants. Rogue was one of those lucky bitches with the sweeping hip shape most anime women would die for, yet she had the face of a Renaissance sculpture. It just wasn't fair.

Jubilee was a mix of a jumble of ethnicities, though Mandarin was the race that contributed to her genetic make-up the most. Of course she couldn't tell anyone "I'm half Mandarin", cause often they said "You're half mini-orange?"

No, she had to say 'Chinese'. Of course saying someone was chinese was as descriptive as pointing to one of the anglo kids and going "They're European." It was the truth, but it didn't say much. It didn't say that despite a man's genetic make-up, the accepted form of beauty was white skin and light hair, of some shade between brown and blonde, and if there was anyone around that was gorgeous and could fit into that category, they'd be the one they'd fall over themselves to get to first. Jubilee cursed the fact that there were two of them.

Kitty was temporarily chaste, it seemed, and Rogue was - Rogue was a mystery. Jubilee honestly through Rogue was after Logan. She swore blind that's all she was after.

And then she saw the gleam in the girl's eye as she let the tall man take her out the door. She saw the anger and disappointment in the brown pools that gazed disapprovingly at Logan.

Then there was Remy and his slutty tendencies. The guy had the attention span of a freeze-dried pea. He must have been really really horny or short of women or somethin' to be coming onto her in that hallway. The shock to her system from the whole experience was unsettling, which led her to the upset stomach, and that meant Remy caused it and she couldn't have that. She settled for it being incomprehensible again.

She dug around in her own video collection, grabbing the one video that seemed to cheer her up, not matter what. She was sure every girl had one video that did it, and invariably it starred Meg Ryan, just like this one. Most girls chose "When Harry Met Sally", but it just wasn't quirky and vindictive enough for her tastes. She wanted the edge of freaky.

'Addicted to Love' never failed to deliver.

She traipsed into the rec room and with much glee (not), saw that not only was Xavier watching a television program, (a rarity in itself), but he seemed incredibly enthralled with it. She loped up, throwing herself down on the end of the couch. There were a few kids in the corner of the room, reading quietly, and a few others played tiddly-winks. Their chatter and presence made a passable backdrop.

Jubilee looked at Xavier long, staring blankly. For an old guy, he hadn't that many wrinkles. His skin was pretty smooth, really. She never really stopped to look at him. She listened to him a lot, being a student, but never really looked at him. Then again she'd never really talked to him either. She took a long breath in, giving Xavier a thoughtful look.

"Are you going to stare at the side of my head all night or are you going to ask me something, Jubilee?"

Jubilee made an effort not to jump in fright and she blushed. "Sorry - I was just appreciating you."

Xavier gave an amused smile, "Well thank you."

"Eh," she shook her head, burying her face in her hands, "It's all right. What're you watching?"

"The effects of El Nino on the climates of the world."

She glanced through the fingers covering her face and grew silent. "Ah."

"Probably not something you'd be too interested in watching."

She sighed, grabbing a cushion and laying back on the couch. "The way I'm feelin' now, I'm willing to give anything a try."

Rather than smiling again in amusement, Xavier frowned.

"Is everything all right, Jubilee?"

Jubilee blinked at him matter-of-factly. "You know there's no point in asking that if you already know the answer."

Xavier just sighed, "I was merely asking if you'd like to discuss it."

Jubilee pouted, shrugging and playing with the fringe of the cushion in her arms.

"What's the point? He's out with Rogue. He's got his dream-girl and I got my Meg Ryan tape."

"You know it is only a date," he said, "They don't always end in life-long commitment."

Pushing up her lip in thought, Jubes looked to her mentor.

"You know that's what Remy said."

Xavier cocked a brow, "Really?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "Cept it was in a bad french accent with terrible grammar."

"I was hoping the english program I had him on would improve that."

"No, he thinks it's cool talking in the third person when expressing a personal opinion."

Xavier smiled, "Well, it's probably a side effect of youth."

"Ugh," Jubilee brought her knees up and cradled her head in them, "Youth sucks."

"Some would say it gets worse," Xavier said, tilting his head an still watching the television, "Or better for that matter. It just changes. Life is life, Jubilee. I'm sure whatever happens, you'll come to a place where you can say 'I am happy'."

Jubilee frowned, her head laying on her folded arms, "What makes you so sure?"

"Cause we'll always be here to guide you," he said softly. "Not matter what you have to face."

Jubilee sighed long, leaning back on the couch. She narrowed her eyes at the Professor in affection.

"Thank you."

"That's quite all right."

And for a couple of hours, Jubilee learnt some fascinating things about the mating patterns of seals on the Australian coast that she didn't really ever want to know. But she learnt them with Xavier, so somehow it was special. Seal sex - what a thing to share.

~*~

If there was one thing everyone knew about Kitty, is that the library was her sanctuary. Whether she was studying, or thinking, or gossiping or just kicking back and doing her own private reading, the library was her dwelling. The common knowledge of this was a comfort, but in many ways - like right now - a pain in the ass. Friday Night was generally known as 'date night', and the older students would set upon New York in droves, looking for a place to eat or loiter in. Lily Page's tavern generally fit the bill for already established couples, and those seeking someone to couple with, but it was not an establishment for those under 21. Logan liked that bar - this was descriptive enough of what kind of place it was. Kitty wasn't sure if she was too excited about going there eventually.

One thing she did know is that she wasn't eager on coupling with anyone, so never going to Lily's was not a problem for her. The last thing she wanted was to couple with the boy in the Library watching her read "The Invisible Man" by HG. Wells. It was a simple concept she didn't think he understood very well.

"I read that once," he said.

"That's great," Kitty mumbled, frowning for concentration.

"His style is really descriptive, but sometimes I get bogged down by it."

"Yeah."

She didn't see him frowning slightly, gazing up at her with a small pout.

"You hate me don't you?"

"Sure."

He sat upright and blinked at her. She glanced to him and frowned.

"I'm sorry - what did you just say?"

Cameron sighed, shaking his head. "Nothing."

He rolled over on the couch that was along a wall, gazing out the window. She tried to ignore him lolling his head back and forth, the rattle of the venetian blinds being pulled up, and especially the fascinated glint in his eyes as he cast a look out the window.

"It's a pretty night."

She was valiantly attempting to read about the technical side to this miraculous change to invisibility of the story's protagonist, and generally she could read past mos people's babbling. Cameron had to have that darn distracting accent she felt compelled to listen to

"Like in Australia?" she said, humouring him somewhat.

"No," he said, voice suddenly serious, "Australia is very different. The sky has colour. Thick colour."

Kitty looked up, drawn by his words of deep emotion. He was gazing at the sky, wistfully.

"You liked it in Australia."

He shook his head, "No, I loved it in Australia."

She frowned, folding the book in her lap, curling up on the other end of the dark leather couch they were seated on. She spoke, wincing as the words came out as cold.

"If you loved it so much, why did you leave?"

He shrugged, "Had no choice."

"Oh..."

His face had grown hard as he uttered those words, and she shoved away the curiosity that piqued within her. He must have had a story, dark as many of theirs, or at least tragic or heart-breaking in some way. But she wondered -what could possibly happen to someone who knew how to hide so that they could be against a wall, and you never saw them there?

He nodded. "I miss it."

"Are your family here?"

He shook his head, "Nup. Back in Perth."

"What's a Perth?" she frowned.

"The city I used to live in," he said.

She closed her eyes, facing away. There was too much exchange now, she was learning too much about him. Learning led to relating and relating would lead straight to all sorts of awful things like affection and attraction. She sighed. Damn she missed that sort of thing.

"Is it cause of that Bobby guy?"

She blinked at him, "Excuse me?"

He swallowed and shrugged nervously, "The reason why you don't like me - is it cause of that Bobby guy?"

She frowned - someone must have been talking. "What makes you say that?"

"Well," He leant on a hand, sky-blue eyes glowing a little in the dim light, "First off you two date and act real close for like, a coon's age-"

"A what?"

He shook his head, "Sorry - a long time - and then the guy apparently dumps you for no reason-"

He'd only been with the school a few months... how could he know that sort of thing?

"Who told you this stuff?"

"Gambit," he said, "We're mates. And I wanted to know why it was such a big deal that you and Bobby broke up. So he told me."

"Oh." Kitty looked out the window, sinking down into her arms.

He nodded, "I'm thinking Bobby must be a moron."

She sighed, closing her eyes. His words were soft, tender, spoken so sweetly and they were killing her, syllable by syllable. She crushed her face against her arm, hiding her face.

"Why?"

"Cause what kind of dude lets someone like you go?!"

He said it so matter of factly, so straight out, that her heart squelched in shock in her chest, rebounding off her ribs before staggering into a frantic rhythm. She blushed.

"There's nothing that special about me," she said.

Cameron just laughed, and she could feel herself burning up inside.

"Yeah right," he snorted, "That asshole must have done something really good to ya allright."

"He didn't," she said, "Really."

He shrugged again. "Either way, you're selling yourself short."

She snorted at that, throwing her book down onto the floor.

"Why, cause I'm not throwing myself all over you?"

"No," he said, indignance finally finding it's way to his tones, "Because you always look sad and you never let yourself talk to anyone of the opposite sex."

Anger was rising fast. Where the hell did he get off?!

"What, it's a requirement that I talk to guys all the time to be healthy in the head or something?!"

"Nah," he shook his head, "But playin' Mother Superior isn't much good for ya either, Kitty."

"Yeah well it's none of your business!" Grabbing her book she jumped to her feet.

"I just worry about ya, that's all," he said, raising his voice to reach her across the room.

Her hand was on the doorknob, ready to turn it and storm out of there. She swore at the seven levels of hell as her feet refused to move, and she turned, glaring at him guardedly.

"Who am I to you?"

He shrugged angular shoulders and moved forward so that the lamplight from the main desk reached him.

"I dunno. A girl." He looked away, "A girl I don't like seeing sad."

She sighed, looking down, clutching her hands nervously. "There are other girls."

"Hmm," he agreed, "Not like you."

She glanced back, catching the gaze he was giving her. The straggly blonde hair was fire in the light of the reading-lamp behind him, and the silly joking dork she encountered during most of her school-time was achingly missing. She sighed.

"Goodnight, Cameron."

"Night, Kitty."

She pulled the door closed behind her and strode down the hall, crushing her lips together, trying to purge herself of the evening's events. She wished she were more depressed, so she could throw in her copy of 'When Harry Met Sally', but right now, she felt repelled by the thought. No, no no. It gave her far too many bad ideas.

~*~

Jubilee had everything. Cheetos, pistachio nuts she'd found in the kitchen pantry, Oreos, a few cans of Coke, Sugar Puffs, a huge bag of mixed chewy candy and some nacho cheese Doritos. The tape was in the player, the kids had all wandered off for more interesting things to do, and Xavier had bid her good evening and withdrawn to Cerebro for his nightly patrol. So the rec-room was swathed in darkness, she had that huge mother of a television set to herself, and she had Meg Ryan all ready to go. Plus a scruffy Matthew Broderick - oh yeah - she had everything. Even the remote control.

She pressed play, kicking off her sneakers and sliding down into the couch, gathering all the cushions around her. The sheer heaven around her was almost enough to eclipse the memory of what had happened in the main hall of the dormitory wing. Damn, there she had to go think about it again. Fuck.

It was incredibly hard not to.

The blonde perfect girlfriend teaching the children in the country town waved to Broderick in the camera. God, how sappy, Jubilee thought. It's the sort of thing Cyke and Jean would do.

Ohhhhhhh great! Jubilee groaned to herself. She just ruined the perfect movie by identifying Broderick with her 'You-Name-the-Class-he'll-teach-it' teacher!! Her next few minutes were a vocal mumbled mantra of "Broderick is not Mr. Summers, Broderick is NOT Mr. Summers..." and crushing Cheetos on her forehead in punishment.

"Who's Broderick?"

Jubilee stopped and looked up, palm pressed to her head with cheeto dust raining down on her dark features.

Logan looked down at her, cocking a brow, no shirt on. Perhaps she should start identifying Broderick with- NO! No! She grabbed another cheeto and smashed it to her head once more.

"Go put a shirt on," she growled.

Logan looked down, and as if checking to make sure they were still there, glanced at each of his nipples. Then he glared at her.

"Is the snack-food crushing some weird teen ritual I should know about?"

"One day, yes," Jubilee said, gathering up the mess she'd made with a tissue. "Don't you have bad guys to beat up or something?"

Logan curled around the sofa, and she noticed he only wore black tracksuit pants. Bare feet - wow, she'd never seen his feet. She expected them to be gnarled and disgusting, but they were quite possibly the cutest men-feet she'd ever seen. She pulled her glance away and looked back to the television set, ignoring him sinking down next to her and grabbing a cheeto.

"They any good?"

"Taste one and find out," she muttered.

"What are you watching?"

"Girl movie," she said, "Go away."

"No. So people don't get beaten up in this movie?"

"Not really."

Logan coughed, "They taste like shit."

"Exactly," she said, still gazing at the screen, "They're junk food."

"You're tellin' me," he said, "Look at this shit."

"My shit," she growled, pulling her bags of food to her possessively, "So go away!"

"What's this guy doing with the telescope?"

Jubilee sighed. Perfect night ruined. Perfect night perfectly ruined and she perfectly wanted to smash Logan's lights out. She couldn't though, she couldn't even zap him cause he was sitting there with cute feet and luscious chest and being friendly for once. Not that she had any romantic feelings towards him -no they were Rogue's department - he was just - very fine. GAH! She didn't think of him like that generally. It was something about older men today. No no no. She moaned and stuffed more cheetos in her mouth.

"He's looking at stars and shit and occasionally his fiancee."

"If she's his fiancee what's she doin' with the other guy?"

Jubilee frowned, "What other guy - we haven't-" She glanced to Logan, who was squinting at the back of the video cover. Damn it looked small in his hands. "Oh - don't read the back - just - go away!"

She nearly said 'watch the movie', crap crap. She sighed long. Logan just looked at her.

"This movie seems creepy."

"Yeah, it is, kinda."

He nodded, then twisted his neck back towards the kitchen, then looked to her. "Want a beer?"

Okay, her resolve to get rid of him skidded around with an audible screech, and she grinned. "Sure!"

He nodded again and loped off towards the kitchen. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad afterall... She pressed pause. No, she didn't want him asking her how the guy got to the city, or why the fiancee wasn't with him.

Logan traipsed back and dropped the beer in her lap, and not expecting it, Jubilee jumped.

"Fuck Logan!" she hissed, "You really think I wanna be impaled by a Canadian Bitter?"

He grunted and sat down, placing the rest of the six-pack next to him, "Why'd ya turn the vid off?"

She shrugged, "So you didn't miss any of it and ask me stupid questions about it afterwards."

"Oh."

She pressed play. The fiancee was leaving for New York, and poor Broderick was mooning about with large brown eyes. He sped along the small country runway, waving out the window. She sighed, leaning into her cushion. She felt the narrowed eyed glare of Logan on her, and she looked at him.

"He wouldn't be allowed to do that you know."

Blinking at him very deliberately, she took a decisive breath in. "Logan?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

He shrugged and cracked open his beer with a claw.

"That is so majorly grody."

Logan frowned, watching the turn of events on the screen. She tried to ignore him as he watched the movie, but some part of her was actually curious as to what a big hairy man like him would think of a girls movie like this one. He seemed to wince a lot, shaking his head, taking large swigs of his beer. She had a go at hers too. Truth be known, she hated beer, but damn she wasn't going to say no to a free flight. Broderick worked at setting up his special contraption in which to view the image of his lost fiancee, and she heard Logan snort.

"This guy is a loser."

Now Jubilee snorted, "Marie."

He glowered, "Shut up."

Jubilee tilted her head, scruffing her hair with one hand thoughtfully, "You know - Sam's kinda doing a you."

Logan looked to her, "Huh?"

"He's doing a Logan."

Logan still looked at her.

"Backwards."

Now he just narrowed his eyes.

"You run. He ran - in the opposite direction."

Logan just shook his head and watched the movie. He snorted.

"Great. I get to listen to a faggy french accent for two hours."

"You don't like it you can leave," Jubilee said.

"Naw," he shook his head, "I wanna see them torture the guy."

"Ohhh you will."

Logan gave her a sidewards glance, "You sound kinda happy about that."

She frowned, "What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged, "Nothin'."

"It does mean something."

The strange buzz of Meg Ryan's motorbike filled the silence and Logan winced.

"That bike sounds like a baby fart."

Jubilee fluttered her eyelids prissily, "Don't change the subject."

"Goes real nice though."

"Can you orgasm over the bike somewhere else please?"

He didn't look away from the television, just smirked. Jubilee wasn't satisfied. He was teasing her about something - he knew something. Pig. She turned and looked to him.

"Hey - You wanna tell me what you meant by that french insinuation?"

"Sorry Jube, I don't do french."

She growled, "You know exactly what I mean."

Logan pointed to the screen, "I like this chick."

Jubilee sighed in defeat. "I bet you do."

The heavy booted heel of Meg Ryan smashed in the sun-roof of the decrepid apartment building, Broderick suitably in horror. Her firm and uncompromising composure was inspiring, rejuvinating. Something about her filled Jubilee with a great hope - that chicks like that, like her - were still somehow desirable. Her ritual was about to take place. She only hoped Logan wouldn't fuck it up for her. Ah - here it was. Meg turned, facing Broderick, shining her flashlight in his face.

"What's your name?" Jubilee said along with the TV.

Logan stared at her.

"Mike," Broderick replied.

"What's your name Mike?" she continued.

"Sam."

"Sam, I'm Maggie," Jubilee said, clear as day, "I'm going to be stayin' here a while."

Logan opened his mouth but a cheeto-dust coated hand slammed over his face.

"I sleep naked," Jubilee said, still along with Meg, "It's the only way I'm comfortable so don't think of it as a come on, because if you so much as breath in my direction I will nail your willy - "She paused, "to that beam. Don't mess with me, don't get in my way, and I'm sure we'll get along fine."

She pulled her hand away and stuffed more Cheetos in her mouth. Logan spat and spluttered, wiping at his face.

"What the fuck was that?!"

"Ritual," she said, staring at the screen, and crushed a cheeto against his forehead. He spluttered, flapping the newly created cheeto dust off of him.

"How many times you seen this movie?"

"To date? One hundred and seventy five times."

Logan's jaw dropped. She glanced to him, smiling.

"And for a year and a half, I didn't have no tv set neither."

Logan shook his head, "Kids."

"Nuh-uh," She held her hand up, "I am nineteen years old mister, and in some parts of the world, like Australia for instance, I am legally an adult."

"You're in America."

She frowned, "Shh!"

Logan sighed. She glared at him with wide obsidian eyes.

"I have periods. I am fertile. I am only going to get fatter from here on in. My metabolism will go down. My baby-fat cells will shrivel up and abandon me like so many of Old Custer's men, and most likely be replaced with cells devoted to creating cellulite. AND - I have survived the worst of puberty - so don't you dare refer to me as a child in my presence again or I will blast your ass to the other side of this mansion."

He snorted, "You've watched this movie too many times"

She clouted him upside the ear.

"Ow!"

"Shut up, Logan."

"I gave you beer, you know."

Looking up to him, Jubilee gave a Meg-esque grin, letting a long deep burp rip from her belly.

"You're disgusting."

She nodded and took a swig of her beer. On the screen, the leads plotted against their loves, sneaking and hiding and manipulating. Logan just shook his head.

"God - if I were this guy I'd just go in there and rip his dick off."

"That's why Rogue's out dating the french fag," Jubilee muttered into a mouthfull of cheetos.

Logan rolled his tongue about, "That was a low shot."

"That's the truth, bro."

Jubilee dove back into the drama of the movie again, revelling in the darkness and the dank and the heavy make-up on the usually light and perfect Meg Ryan. She was no Sleepless in Seattle belle, no Harry Met Sally quirky sweetpea. She was angry, and cruel, and relentless. With each scene Jubes narrowed her eyes, imagining it was Remy being mocked, that it was him that would eventually endure endless pain. Not that he'd used her, no. He just looked at her. Like she was the only girl in the world, she thought idly.

The movie moved on, and snacks were abandoned for cushions to be clutched, lips to be chewed on, and if Jubes knew any better Logan was thoroughly into it. She offered him a bowl of Doritos. Twitching a nose at it he shook his head and kept watching the TV.

Of course the sappy stuff had to come up, the soft lovey stuff that neither of them on the couch really knew what to do with. Logan would shift and move a little back from her (even though he was thoroughly on the end of the couch) and she'd just sigh, more in anger and pain than sheer wistfulness.

Logan glanced to her, frowning.

"Hey..."

She frowned, "What?"

"You're crying."

Oh fuck, she thought, and she grabbed a tissue off the coffee table, dabbing franticly at her eyes.

"Jesus," she sighed, "I always cry during this movie."

He snorted incredulously.

She glared at him, "What?"

He leant back on the couch and shrugged, "I'm sure a movie you've seen one hundred seventy-five times really chokes you up, yeah, right, sure, whatever."

"Oh yeah," she chuckled sadly, "So Einstein, what do you think it's about then, hmmm?"

"Gumbolina."

After a blink, Jubilee laughed. It was a sharp, angry bark of a noise and she shook her head, giggling.

"Oh man, that's a good one Logan - listen babe, you should stick to kicking butt cause you totally suck in the love department!"

Logan frowned, opening another can of beer, "Maybe so, but I can hear a heartbeat from across a room, not to mention a drop of sweat, a tear. You get the idea."

Jubilee glanced to him, narrowing her eyes. "You get off on sniffin' out other people's bodily fluids?

He snorted, "Yeah, a room fool of hot horny teenage scent really gets me goin'."

She snorted back at him and finished off her beer. "I hate him."

Logan gave her a sidewards glance. "Yeah?"

She nodded silently.

"That so, why ya get all unka-thunka when he's around ya?"

She cocked a lip and rolled her eyes, "Have you looked at him lately? Dunno if you realise it, but he's a looker. And he's got a full deck of bullshit sweet-talk to throw at ya when you're not expecting it."

Logan frowned now, eyes glinting, "Did he throw any at you?"

Jubilee gave a pouty sidewards glance, "Yeah."

Logan nodded, lips growing tense, "When?"

She rolled her eyes again, "He was just being a flirt, that's all-"

"When?!"

"Tonight," she said, trailing her finger over the warming can of beer dregs, "Before the date."

He grit his teeth, knuckles whitening, pulsating with twitching claws. Jubilee just sighed, shaking her head.

"You know he's like this, Logan. I kinda feel bad for encouragin' Rogue to go out with him."

Logan glared at her like she had leprosy, "You did WHAT?"

Jubilee shrugged. Yeah, it was a stupid idea, that sounded really really good at the time she'd carried it out.

"I told her she should go out with him. For fun, for a date. Nothing more, nothing less."

Logan just buried his face into his hands, shutting off the television with a jab of his thumb to the remote. He pulled the last two beers from the six-pack plastic rings and handed one to Jubilee.

"Chug-a-lug, Princess," he said.

It seemed to say it all. They pulled back on their beers, Jubilee fast feeling the buzz. She stretched out on the couch, kicking empty bowls out o the way and clunking her heavy boots onto the table. Of course, Logan was barely content with three beers, and traipsed off to get more. Jubilee frowned thoughtfully. How the hell did she get into this place - being Logan's drinking partner, being depressed over Remy LeBeau of all people? How?!

He came back with another six pack, and sank down on the couch. Jubilee swung her head around, looking at him.

"Did you like the movie?"

He shrugged, "It didn't suck."

Jubilee sniggered, "God you sounded like me then."

He cocked a brow at her, "Now that is an insult."

She smacked him hard and he smirked. A long sigh left them both as they drank their beers in silence, and gazing at the ornate ceiling, Jubilee pulled her lips to a jutting pout.

"Tell me about when you met Marie."

Logan's eyes flitted to her and he frowned, "She's told you 'bout it hasn't she?"

"Plenty a' times," she said, obsidian eyes distant, "I just wanna hear it from you."

Logan shrugged, sinking down into the contours of the couch and slamming his feet on the coffee table. He sighed, cocking his head and pressing his lips together in deep thought.

"I could smell her from the cage."

"Ew."

He scowled at her and continued. "The stink of girls deoderant kinda sticks out in a place like that. Had no interest in her whatsoever."

Jubilee frowned, "This isn't sounding very romantic."

He double glanced and snorted, "It isn't."

She sighed, "Well keep going. Weren't you worried about her?"

"Not really."

"Oh."

"She was just some chick in a bar, Jube. I was tryin' to make a livin' ya know. Next thing I know she's in my damn trailer."

Jubilee saw his face soften, and she tilted her head. "That's when it changed, huh?"

Logan shrugged, gazing at the television. "She wasn't afraid."

Jubilee nodded, "Yeah. I know that one."

"Dunno what happened then - we just. We needed each other. Something - ya can't describe it with words cause it's not about words. It's not just about surviving either it's about - livin' I suppose."

The eurasian felt hot spikes in her eyes and she looked away, rubbing at her nose fitfully.

"You okay?"

Jubilee nodded, "You're wrong you know."

He lifted a brow, "Bout what?"

"It's very romantic."

Logan gave a rough sniff and shrugged, "It's what happened."

~*~

Nine beers each and half a six pound jar of pistachios later, the two were stretched out on the couch, Logan on the dizzy side of nicely numb and Jubilee completely drunk beyond words. She growled. They'd had patches of discussion starting with fashion, which was an interesting discussion to have with Logan in the first place. She complained about the resurgence of needle-point stilettos and he mumbled not knowing what they were in the first place. After a crash course in the anatomy of a ladies shoe, she told him exactly why putting all of one's weight on a square half-inch of heel is ridiculous and dangerous. Logan mentioned guys seriously didn't care what kind of shoes chicks wore, as long as they had a great ass.

So much for romance.

After politics, feminist issues and brazierres, they'd somehow stumbled onto what mutant powers would be excellent to have.

"I think," Jubilee said, voice low and rough from the alcohol, "Mystique's powers would be cool. I mean, you could look like anyone. If one outfit looks fucked on you - zoop - you're in another. Hell - you can have any outfit you LIKE - it's just zoop zoop - your dream set of pipe-pants, chunky boots, little top and hair-do to match I mean - shit - it'd be heaven."

"Yeah but your real face would look as shit-ugly as hers does."

Jubilee sighed, "True."

Logan curled his arm up, checking his watch, probably for the fiftieth time that night.

"What time is it?"

"Twelve-thirty."

She sighed long.

"I miss her."

Jubilee glanced to him. Her heart thumped, more in empathy than anything. "She sure looked pretty."

"No," he shook his head, "She looked... looked..." He gave a heavy sigh. "That shirt... and - the skin..."

"Oh yeah," Jubilee nodded, "That girl has skin like white chocolate."

"Yeah," he groaned, "Bet she tastes like it too."

Jubilee burst out into laughter, little squealling giggles that sent her almost hiccuping.

"I am so telling her you said that!!"

He blushed but shrugged, "I doubt it'll make much difference."

"Ya never know, champ," she said, slapping his arm in a friendly thwack.

A silent moment fell between them, and Logan looked to her. "So you really like Gumbo, huh?"

"I don't," she said, "He just. It's not fair that the first person to notice I wasn't still a kid chewing gum was - well - him! I mean, he's a slut. Complete and utter...." She sighed, "Slut."

"Yup."

She growled, "You're supposed to be makin' me feel better here dude!"

He blinked at her, "How, tell you he's Prince Charmin' in lycra?"

She whimpered, "No, yes - I dunno!" She covered her face in her hands and gave another moan, "I HATE HIM!"

"Me too, Jubilee."

She looked to him through her fingers. "Logan..."

"Hmm?" he grunted, gazing at the edge of his beer can.

"Thanks for not callin' me Kid."

He shrugged, "You were right."

Jubilee managed a smile.

That's when the familiar 'ca-clink' of the front door lock echoed through the main hall and into the rec room, and Jubilee and Logan stared at each other.

"Shall we hide?" she breathed.

Logan shook his head, and sunk down into the couch, letting the glow of a nearby lamp set a dark yellow light over them. He just listened very keenly. He could hear her deep silky tones behind the door, and as it swung open it became that little bit clearer.

"That jerk with the benz was a laugh wun't he?"

"I be thinkin' so, chere!"

"Watch your hands sugah."

There was a low chuckle as the door closed, and Logan could smell the tang of Jubilee's tears in the dark.

"You never told me you were such a good dancer," Rogue cooed, the sound of her purse being dropped slamming the silence. She swore. "Damn I'm pickled as a salad onion!"

"Yeah well we be not wantin' any accidents on de way to de bedroom non?"

Logan felt anger grow within him. Not only was that rat bastard foolin' with Marie, but he was foolin' with Jubilee. Who he'd suddenly gotten rather attached to over the past few hours, and that surprised him. It was like acquiring a war buddy or some such. Not that he should clearly remember anything like that. Oh he hated unheralded flashbacks.

"Oh don't be gettin' ahead o' yaself, there Remy," Rogue said, "Might have to beat ya into submission."

"Remy might like dat too."

He felt the growl slip from his throat, and Jubilee glared at him, her finger padding over her lips in a frantic pleading of silence. Heavy-heeled footsteps struck the polished varnish floorboards.

Mahogany and pearl hair peeked over the edge of the lounge suite above Logans head, a cocked brow greeting him. Then, her jaw dropped.

"Oh my God..."

"Eh, wassup mon-"

Remy strode in, then swung to a stand still, glaring where Rogue was.

Rogue turned away, her hand over her stomach, "Oh mah God...."

Logan glared at Jubilee, then at Rogue and sniggered, "Wait - you don't think-"

"Logan, you better have a pretty good excuse cause Ah swear to God-"

"Remy be agreein' wit de chere."

Remy's eyes were set on Jubilee, and the girl felt anger bubble up within her. How dare he be looking at her like that...

"First off," Logan said, kneeling up on the couch to meet Rogue's stunned face, "We were watchin' a video."

She narrowed her eyes, "Oh yeah - which one?"

Logan swallowed, "Uh..."

Rogue strode to the VCR and yanked out the video. A low angry laugh of disbelieve spilled through her and she held up the video to Remy.

Remy let out a hearty laugh, pointing to Logan, shaking his head.

"I don' be believin' it!"

Jubilee rolled her eyes, "It's my tape, Rogue, you know that."

"Yeah," Rogue nodded, "Yup, I know that." She dropped the tape on the couch and shook her head, "I wanna know why, you both were in the dark, Logan shirtless, on the couch - stinkin' of fuckin-" At her curse she kicked and empty can fiercly, and it flew cross the room with a clatter, "Beer!"

Logan jumped to his feet, glancing to Jubilee only a moment. The girl's arms were folded and she gazed down in her lap, a sadness in her features. He sighed and looked to Rogue.

"Now, Marie, don't start overreacting before you hear the full story-"

"I haven't heard the half story yet!" she growled.

He growled back at her, "Well whadda YOU care anyway?! You were out with Frenchy all night - I'm not allowed to hang out with people?"

"Oh yeah," she nodded wildly, platinum locks slipping and shaking in the dim light, "Yeah - havin' a drink with SCOTT - that's hangin' out. Sitting in a dark lounge with my best friend at fuckin' one in the mornin' - that's damned WRONG Logan!"

Logan snorted with disbelief, incredulity splashed on twisted features, "What -you think I made out with her or somethin?"

Rogue glared at him.

Logan tipped his head back, giving a good long laugh. "Oh, that's a good one."

Remy shrugged, taking a stiff sniff in, "Is probably better if Jubilee stay away from de Papa, non? 'As got a bad track record for hurtin' women."

Rogue hissed and turned away from him, Jubilee just staring at Remy with wide eyes filled with hurt.

"You miserable bastard," she breathed quietly, "You fucking jealous miserable bastard."

Rogue glanced back at Remy, then at Jubilee, snorting, "What?"

Jubilee just glared at him, eyes glistening with quiet accusation. Logan's jaws were clenched, his eyes set on Remy with anger.

"Were you waitin' for us?" Rogue asked him, "Hmm? Waitin' up for us?"

Logan shrugged, "Not intentionally."

She snorted, shaking her head and turning away again. "Ah don't believe this."

"That makes the two of us," Logan growled. "I known you for many things, Marie, but the last thing I expect you to be is a presumptuous snot."

Rogue spun about, glaring at him, "Ah beg your PARDON?"

"You heard me," he rumbled, "You think for one minute that maybe someone else was hurtin' besides you around here?!"

Rogue frowned with incomprehension, glancing to Jubilee, curled up and gazing blankly at the dead television. There was something more to all of this -something she was missing...

"Jubes-" She stepped forward, winding around Logan, "What's wrong with ya then?"

Jubilee cast her eyes up to her friend, rimmed with red, tears kissing her cheeks and glistening in the dim light. She rose slowly, meeting Rogue's demanding glare and sighed.

"Just leave me alone."

She turned, stalking out of the room quietly, leaving Rogue to the two men. Rogue narrowed her eyes, turning around back to Remy and Logan. Remy was staring after Jubilee, his jaw tense.

"Okay - what the FUCK is goin' ON HERE?!"

Logan tilted his head, stuffing his hands in tracksuit pants and rocking on his feet. "Frenchy's been busy."

Rogue swung a look to Remy, shaking her head, "You - you didn't..."

Remy held up his hands with a stutter, "Eh - non! I date you only, mon cher!"

"Yeah, Jubilee looks really unaffected there!"

Logan looked to Remy, "Go on, Gumbo, why don'cha tell her about the little party in the hallway earlier, hmm?"

"What fucking party?"

Remy glared at Logan, "I think you be dreamin', mon ami."

"If I was dreaming, so was Jubilee," Logan muttered, "And I ain't your fucking 'ami'."

Rogue snorted, "So, you're sweet on Jubilee huh?"

She met the gazed of the red-eyed man, and of all the things she knew of him, the most striking was that he wasn't one to betray his emotions. He sighed, turning away with a swinging step.

She sighed, shaking her head, her next words coming out as a rasp, "Couldn'a told me before ya asked me out."

Remy turned back to her, "Oh come on, Rogue. We both be knowin' dis be a bit of fun, non?"

"No!" she sighed, "This isn't supposed to be like this!"

"Ah'm sorry," the young man said, tilting his head a little, "I..."

"Just - get out o' mah sight."

After a heavy sigh, Remy turned his long gait down the hallway, his footsteps filling the silence that fell between Logan and Rogue. She stared at him a moment, the glisten of tears in her eyes evident. Logan felt sick. Truly sick. Marie had been so many things to him in the past, it killed him to feel her disappoint him.

~*~

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