Lullaby

Massechusetts Academy
December 18th,
4:34am

"I can't wait to see Sam! We have so much to catch up on. Oh! and while I'm there I may as well pick up presents for everyone. I can't believe it's almost christmas and I havent even begun shopping! Did you know my baby sister wants one of those tie-up corsets everyone is wearing these days? She's not even old enough for one!" Paige rattled on as Jubilee stuffed a duffle bag full of her favorite Cds and other gadgets.

"Yeah, yeah," Jubilee said, shoving more items into her bag - her cowboy hat, her bamf doll, snacks, a pair of clothes.

"Are you sure you'll need all that stuff? We're only staying for a day."

"You never know when you'll need it." She said, hefting it onto her shoulder and leaving her room.

"By the way, who's your boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend? What are you talking about?" She walked through the halls, Paige close behind her.

"You have a lover, don't you?"

"No, what made you think that?" Jubilee bounced down the front steps of the Academy and toward the van.

"Well," Paige said, thinking about disclosing Monet and Paige's deed, then thought the better of it. "It's nothing. I just thought I heard you talking with someone in your room last night and thought you had a boyfriend." She lied and entered the van, suited up and ready to show Cyclops and Xavier her improvement in combat skill.

Jubilee stared at her. "Ooo-kay."

Angelo approached from behind Jubilee, also suited up, tapping her gently on the shoulder. "You ready for the big day, chica?" He climbed into the van.

"No."

Everett followed behind Angelo, also in his suit. "Hey, I thought suits were mandatory."

"They are," Monet responded, also climbing in. "But Jubilee rarely listens to instructions."

Jubilee ignored the comments and climbed into the van. There was no way in hell she was going to wear a suit. First of all, she couldn't fit into it. Second, even if she could, it was skin-tight fabric. That would hurt. Third, If she wore that, her pregnancy would be a dead giveaway, and she didn't want anyone with the exception of Angelo knowing she was pregnant before Wolverine knew.

Emma opened the driver's side door. "You don't need to come along, Sean." She rolled her eyes. "Who will look after the school?"

"No headmaster for a day won't hurt the academy any. If ye're worrit about it that much, ye can stay. I want to see how my students do on their evaluation." He looked into the van, all mutants present and accounted for. He raised an eyebrow. "Jubilee, can I see ye for a moment?"

"Busted!" Everett joked. Jubilee groaned and slowly exited the van.

"This isn't going to be long, will it? We're already running late. Really, we should have been on the road half an hour ago." Emma looked at her watch with an impatient sigh. Of course their flight was delayed until two more days, and she couldn't push the evaulation back any farther, so they had to take a several-hours ride by van.

"Not at all, Emma. It'll be just a moment." He dragged Jubilee by the arm back toward the steps and out of earshot of the others.

"Look, if this is about the suit-"

"No, not the suit! How far are ye gonna go with this secret?" He hissed quietly. "Make sure yuir mental barriers are up, lass. Don't want anyone t' overhear." His voice was full of anger.

"Wh-what secret?" She stuttered.

"Don't play that game with me. I already know it."

Her eyes grew big and round, the color of forget-me-nots. "How did you know?"

"Emma isn't a parent. I am. Wolverine's the father?" He redirected the question.

"Yes."

His grip on her shoulder tightened. "This happened to ye at th' prison, didn't it? He did this to ye?"

"No!" She yanked her arm away. "It wasn't like that!" She could already see Angelo's reaction echo on Sean's face. How many times was she going to have to go over this story with the X-men later today? "A woman named Yvanka at the prison forced us. Neither one of us wanted to! We were..." She hated saying the word. "Raped. Forced by her. Wolvie almost died in that prison, and I don't want to talk about that place anymore!"

He softened his tone. So that was Jubilee's version. He would be damned if he wasn't going to check Wolverine's version, too. "Ye're going to have to talk more about it sooner or later. Ye can't hide the bairn for too much longer. I'm surprised ye haven't shown much this far along."

"I was going to tell him - everyone - today." She said, wiping her sleeve across her nose. It was still dark out, and incredibly cold.

"Ye better. The moment ye get off that van, I want ye going straight to Xavier, then to Beast for a check up. No detours, and don't step foot in that Danger Room. Ye ken?"

She nodded.

"Good." He led her back to the van. She slid the door shut, taking her seat next to Angelo. Sean took the passenger's side.

"That's a nice mental barrier you set up, Sean." Emma said, starting up the engine. "I couldn't get through without damaging you. You've been practicing. I hope that lecture was concerning her skipping classes."

"Living under the same roof as ye, woman. And aye, it was."

---

Tank had a terrible headache. The pain in his face was excruciating, and the bleeding had finally stopped. Since he had been cut off from the drugs, he was healing so much more slowly, and soon he wouldn't be able to heal at all - he would be a normal, ugly mutant. Incu had helped him to his feet and called for Ex-Warden Caid's assistance.

Tank had to go back to the city for another dose - lest he die of blood loss. Caid lifted Tank's face by the chin, clicking. "You'll take him back to the city. Get him cleaned up. I'll continue from here. Any idea where they are?"

Incu was the only one able to answer. "The phones were tapped. They'll be in New York today, but that's where the male pretty is. The female pretty, Lee, did this to Tank. She's tough, tougher than we all thought. She won't be easy to control without the inhibitor. She's a walking weapon, I swear."

"You said you heard her say she couldn't abort it? Good. I'll have to wait until she gives birth. Keep tabs. Take the child at the best moment."

"Careful, Caid." Incu warned. "You know what they say in the cellblocks."

Caid gave him a confused look.

"Nothing is more dangerous than a frightened mother with a weapon."

---

New York
December 18th,
8:48am

"I have to get out of that seat. I can't stand sitting for so long." Emma said, unbuckling herself. "You wanted to do some shopping, Paige? You have one hour. Then we're back in the van. Besides, I'm starving."

Paige was the first out of the van. "I think I can get a fourth of my shopping done if I hurry." She said, speed-walking to the nearest ATM. "You coming, Jono?"

~Be right there, Gel.~ He said psionically, his booted feet touching cold snow.

"Hey, wait for me!" Jubilee shouted, the thought of shopping lifting her sorrow spirits. She looked to Angelo, who sighed.

"Can't I stay in the van where it's warm?" He asked, eyes pleading. She nodded. "Fine, go back to sleep. I know you hate shopping anyway."

"Gracias, Amiga."

---

The christmas lights and music dazzled the senses. There was a skating rink nearby, somewhere just out of eyeshot but not beyond earshot. Furthur off a shop was playing Frank Sinatra. New York at christmas was romantic if not hectic. People were everywhere, rushing along by, completing their last-minute shopping.

Paige had managed to get five toys for her younger siblings, and Jono had been kind enough to carry her bags. He silently cursed himself. He felt as if his arm was about to fall off.

Now they both sat on a bench, and the skating rink was now clear in sight in front of them. Of course they had no time to play - they only had fifteen minutes left before they had to return to the van. So they sat on the bench instead, enjoying the scene before them.

She could tell that Jono was bored - but he suffered in silence, all for the sake of gentlemanly manners. She sipped her coffee thoughtfully. "Jono, if you telepathically link with me, you might be able to taste this coffee."

He looked at her, surprise welling in his eyes. ~You think so?~

She nodded. "Try it."
After her and Monet's experimentation with telepathy and sex, a whole new world had been opened to her as to what she and Jono could do. Instead of kissing, all he would have to do was touch her lips and feed off her sensation to feel it himself. Monet's creativity had offered a slew of opportunities. Opportunities that Paige wanted so desperately to share with Jono.

She could feel his presence in her mind. She took a sip of her coffee, savoring the peppermint aftertaste. His eyes widened.

She sipped again, concentrating on the taste and smell of it. "How does it taste?" She watched as his eyes grew soft and gentle.

~I hated coffee. It offended my palate. But you like it ... and to you it tastes wonderful ... So it tastes wonderful to me.~

"You can do it whenever you like." She said.

~Thank you.~

"You're welcome." She said, scooting next to him. He stood still as a brick as she snuggled into him. He closed his eyes, the memory of the coffee still lingering. Had he a face, he would have smiled.

---

Jubilee had first made sure no one was looking before she entered the aisle. With Jono and Paige outside, she felt safe enough to seriously admire what the store had to offer. The aisle was covered in pinks and blues and yellows, ribbons, bows, and ruffles.

Oddly enough, she found it was funner to buy clothes for someone else than for herself. She eyed a pink sleeper that had sleeping rabbits on the front, then made a face at it. "I don't even know if you could fit that when you come out."

She left the clothes aisle and observed all the accessories. "Wow." Hairbrushes, toothbrushes, diaper dispensers, pacifiers, replacement rubber nipples ... that aisle had everything!

"Everything I can't use yet." She mumbled, going into the last aisle. Baby toys. Teething rings, mirrors, multi-textured books, carousels.

Something caught her eye. She glanced down at it. It was a blue rattle, complete with a bow that said 'It's a boy!'. The alternate was pink that said 'It's a girl!'. It was adorable, and not many were left on the shelf. It came in a small package, something she could easily stuff in her coat pocket.

The only drawback was that it was available only in blue or pink. There was no neutral. "Man, I don't even know what you are." She looked down at her stomach. "Can't you give me a sign?" She received no response. "Fine, be that way, I'll figure it out sooner or later." She grabbed a pair of white baby socks, not wanting to leave the aisle empty-handed.

---

"Everyone back in the van, let's go." Emma watched as they all piled in, Jubilee the last to enter, eating her burrito quickly. "Don't eat that in the car, it's a lease. You can finish eating when we get there." She pointed to the trash.

She gave her headmistress the look of a miserable dog begging for scraps. Did she have to?

"Garbage!" She shouted, getting inside the van.

Jubilee grumbled, tossing her food into the trash and climbing into the van. I hope this kid doesn't come out starved. She thought grimly to herself, then grabbed her duffel. She quietly unwrapped a cupcake as Jono slid the door shut and Sean started the car, taking over.

Monet had apparently purchased a new scarf that Everett admired, feeling the fabric between his fingers and grinning at her. She laughed, apparently the both of them deep in telepathic conversation.

Jubilee finished her cupcake quickly, but didn't feel at all satisfied. The cupcake didn't even taste good. "Bleh," She said to herself, then dug out her cd player. The headphones came on, and she closed her eyes, leaning back.

Half an hour passed like this, the car in gentle motion, as if gliding on air. She felt the earthquakes in her womb again, and her eyes snapped open.

Why did it have to do that when she was relaxing and sleeping? Why couldn't it be active when she was? She supposed that the way her luck was running, it had to be this way. Things were never simple any more. Again, it was as if life was waiting for every possible opportunity to sucker-punch her.

With her luck, it would probably come out sideways, ugly and stupid. She pushed the thought away, finding the thought extremely distasteful. After all, every parent wanted the best for her child. She took in a deep breath, stretching her lungs to its full capacity, and sat up.

---

Xavier Institute for Higher Learning
11:00am

The evaluation was at noon, and Generation X barely made it in time - they had only an hour to spare. The closer they came to the mansion, the sicker Jubilee felt. When the mansion loomed from behind the trees, she felt as if she was going to throw up. Here it comes.

The students all poured out of the van in the most comical fashion, one right after the other, First Jubilee, then Angelo, Penance, Monet, Everett, Paige, then Jono. Paige's shopping bags piled on top of Jono, like clowns out of a tiny car. Bobby covered his mouth at the sight, holding back a chuckle as he watched through the window.

Jean sat, enjoying her tea. She glanced at her watch and smirked. "I told you they would make it on time. You owe me breakfast."

"Barely!" Bobby laughed. "Don't leave much warm-up time." His back stiffened as he heard Emma's shrill voice shout to Jubilee as she ran around back.

"Speaking of running out of time, if you want to avoid her, I'd suggest you leave now."

Bobby didn't need to say anything in response; he simply rose from his seat and gracefully left the room.

"Where is she going? Angelo! Get back here!" Emma shouted, to no use. Angelo followed after Jubilee out of sight, around the corner.

Monet folded her arms as Paige considered following after. "Don't concern yourself. They are determined to ruin their grades. There's no need to lower yours by trying to help them."

Paige sighed. Fine. She heard Jono grunt as he dropped the shopping bags. There were only five items, but they were five big items, and that made all the difference. He felt more like a pack-mule than a man. Then Paige laid her hands on his bicep in thanks and smiled at him, making it worthwhile.

"So glad you arrived in time, Emma." Xavier said, wheeling into the living room. "I take it the students are doing well in their training." He said matter-of-factly.

"Some are slacking more than others." Monet interjected.

"Thank you, Monet." Emma narrowed her eyes. "Why don't you and the others go down to the Danger Room and warm-up?"

---

One of the many halls, second floor.

Rooter had conveniently bumped into Jubilee first. "Pretty!" He shouted, lifting her off the ground and spinning her. Jubilee laughed, and Angelo stood several feet away, jaw slack, in shock of the mutant's ugliness.

Jubilee wrapped her arms around her friend, burying her face in his downy-soft, shoulder-length hair. "Hey, big guy!" She never let go, gripping him tightly as if she hadn't seen him for years. Angelo watched with interest at their interaction - they behaved as if they had been best friends since birth - was that how sharing trauma worked out?

He let her down. "How are you?" He said, eyes soft and caring.

"I'm okay... Ya know, you've really changed since I saw you last."

"No shit?"

"Really." She said with a smile. "Something about your eyes. Different."

Xavier had been amazed at the transformation Rooter had taken - before he was a foul-mouthed, untrusting, paranoid and cynical individual. Now, after several months of exposure to kind mutants and a forgiving environment, he was still a foul-mouthed, untrusting, paranoid and cynical individual. But the eyes - something about his eyes had changed from a cold dull stare to soft orbs of rich burnt umber.

"Is that a good thing?"

Angelo cleared his throat and offered to shake hands with the mutant. Rooter stared at the grey mutant's hand. "And you are?" He asked, not shaking the hand since he found the entire process of shaking hands to be a frivolous gesture.

"Angelo Espinosa. Jubilee's friend."

"Pleased to meet you." He said, on his best behavior for Jubilee's sake, then turned back to her. "What's this about an evaluation?"

"Oh, we're supposed to be in the Danger Room showing off our stuff, but we had to take a detour. Hey, you haven't seen Wolverine around, have you?"

"Logan? Sure, he's in the game room." He thrust a thumb down the hall.

"Thanks!" She ran past the mutant, turned past the corner, and disappeared. Angelo followed close behind.

---

The Danger Room, first floor...

The students entered the Danger Room, suited and ready to go.

Emma, Xavier, Scott, and Sean all watched from above. All of them were frowning.

"Skin and Jubilee are MIA. Can you locate them?"

"I can't locate Jubilee. Her ability to supress herself from psychics has increased dramatically since she was last here. But Skin is heading for the game room. I would imagine he is with her."

Emma shook her head. "That does it!"

"Students not following your orders?" Cyclops said, half observation, half personal jab.

"Angelo has always taken his training seriously. Jubilee must be rubbing off on him."

"That is no excuse. We can't accept them into the X-men if they have trouble following simple instructions. I'll get them." He was about to leave when Xavier stopped him.

"If you don't mind, I will get them myself." He said, leaving the observation room. "Begin the simulation."

"But-"

"We can evaluate Jubilee and Angelo's progress in combat on an individual basis." With that, the door slid shut, ending the discussion.

---

Outside the game room...

"Are you sure you don't want me there?"

"Do you really want to be there when I break the news, dude?"

"No, I don't. But I'll go if you ask, Jubecita."

She kissed him on the cheek. "You're sweet." She was shaking again, just as she had when she was in the clinic. "But you need to be in the Danger Room. I don't want your grades lowered any more on account of me."

"Fuck my grades. I don't walk out on my friends."

She pointed down the hall. "You're not walking out. I'm asking you to go."

He studied her for a moment. She looked scared - as she should be - but she also looked serious. He raised his hands in defeat. "Okay. I'll see you later. Good luck, Amiga." He wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

"You too, Angelo. Knock 'em dead in there." He unwrapped his arms and left.

Jubilee wiped her sweaty hands on her coat, took in a breath, and opened the game room.


---

The game room...

Wolverine had been practicing pool by himself, listening to the news on the television that was bolted to the ceiling overhead. When he ran out of beer, he had left to grab another six-pack.

As he approached the game room, he could tell someone was in it. He sniffed. Odd - was that Angelo he smelled? Wasn't he supposed to be in the Danger Room? He sniffed again. And the other scent? It was a person he didn't quite recognize. He stopped, inhaling again, concentrating on the scent. Jubilee. But the scent was different - altered slightly. He opened the door where the scent was much more concentrated.

"Wolvie."

He turned around quickly to face her. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

She sat in the corner of the room, a lop-sided and unhappy smile on her face. She observed him for a moment as he stood there, eyeing her. "Ya smell different."

"Shut the door. I have to talk to you."

He raised an eyebrow at her in a what-have-you-gotten-yourself-into expression. He shut the door and set his beer can on the pool table. He leaned on the table, staring at her. He felt slightly uneasy at her body language - she acted afraid, and smelled a tiny bit anxious, and something else, something he couldn't place. "Why'd your scent change?"

"Remember when we were in the prison?" She asked it without emotion - only that lopsided, unhappy smile revealed what she was feeling. It tipped him off that whatever it was she needed to talk about wasn't life-threatening, but it wasn't pleasant, either. It was amazing the things one could learn by paying attention to expressions and body language.

The corner of his mouth twitched. "That's not something I'll forget very easily, darlin'." He cocked his head to the side. "What's wrong with your scent?"

"The lichen?"

"What is this about?"

"I'm pregnant."

His face and eyes and jaw all went slack - everything about him changed suddenly, revealing unguarded shock.

Color drained from his face, leaving him pale. His blood ran cold in his veins, as if stopping all together. He stared at her in disbelief.

"No."

She couldn't be. That wasn't supposed to happen. Not to her. She was practically a baby herself. She couldn't have a baby. Not now. Not his.

She let out a humorless chuckle. Did he just tell her 'no?' She rose from her seat.

"Don't believe me?" She unbuttoned her yellow jacket, exposing the roundness of her lower stomach. Without the coat, it was obvious.

He took a step back, as if to attempt escape.

"I can already feel it move. It feels like little earthquakes." She buttoned her jacket back up. Well, he looked convinced. He was backing away from her, as if she was a snake ready to bite him. "Are you ashamed of me?" She blurted out unintentionally, not even realizing until now that it was a question she wanted to ask, not realizing just how much she needed to know.

It was a stupid question. She was ashamed of herself so naturally he would have to be ashamed of her, too. It was a logical thought process. A painful one, but still logical as far as she was concerned. How could he not be ashamed of her?

Rape had a way of fucking up more than your body - it fucked up your mind and spirit, too.

She must have had a memory lapse. Just a moment ago, she was ready to cry, standing in front of a backing up Wolverine who looked ready to bolt out the door at any second. Now she was crushed against him, her nose filled with his smell, barely able to see through the blur of her tears. "No. No. No." He repeated over, words soft. Was he saying 'No' to her pregnancy or 'No,' he wasn't ashamed? She wasn't sure.

"It ain't your fault, don't be ashamed." I'm ashamed of myself.

"I don't know what to do. I mean, I do but I don't. Does that make any sense?"

He remained silent. No, it didn't make sense, but that was okay. A question weighed heavy on his mind. Would she keep it? As much as he wanted to know what she wanted to do, he couldn't bring himself to ask. It felt so ... insensitive. Cruel, almost.

She couldn't stand the silence between them. Anything was better than quiet. "I was gonna abort it, but I can't." She began talking, saying anything and everything she could think of just to fill that terrible void of sound. "It's not it's fault, it can't help being here."

He stared at the wood-paneled walls, his question answered. He wondered what he would say to Xavier what the X-men's reaction would be when they found out their youngest member was carrying his child. If she was going to keep it, then the confrontation was inevitable.

They would not take the news well. They would demand answers, demand to know how this happened. He would have to explain his reasons for omitting facts and details that occurred on a mission. Damn it! he wanted to keep this a secret to protect Jubilee's dignity, not make things worse!

He heard her voice rise in pitch, thick with worry. He shoved his thoughts aside. He would have to deal with the X-men later.

"I'm scared."

"Don't be. Beast-"

"-I'm not scared because of that. Angelo helped me to the clinic. He said he was the father to get me through the doors. If they found out I was underage he could have been arrested. He sacrificed his grades and almost his life for me."

"His life, darlin'?" Did he hear her right?

"The guards. They've been watching me. They want the baby. That's what Yvanka wanted all along. That's why she poisoned us."

"They attacked you!?" Anger rose in his belly.

"Yes. Two days ago. I b-blew off Tank's nose. I think they're still watching me. I think they're... waiting."

He glanced out the window instinctively. He couldn't see any guards, and he didn't smell them, but he couldn't be so sure that they weren't there, now.

Jubilee was right. It would explain why she fed them and cared for them. It explained why she protected them. It explained why she poisoned them, and why she would have let them go if they behaved in one year. Behaved meaning willingly give up the baby after it was born. He could only imagine how much worse things would have been if he didn't escape that night. If he refused to let Jubilee kill. If they waited out their sentence.

All sense of security shattered, and the pieces of the puzzle of Yvanka's motivations suddenly fit into place. And there would be no reason for the guards to not follow her.

"It's not like I can just rent out an apartment somewhere. They followed me to the clinic, they'll follow me anywhere."

He put a hand on the back of her neck, leading her out the room. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"We gotta come clean. They gotta know. Safer that way."

"But-"

"No buts, Jubilation. I'll do the worryin' for ya now."

---