Start at the Beginning Pt 13

"Is this normal?"

Walt watched Gwen swing the Insectoid alien into the ground with a crunch as he stabbed it's "head" with the bowie. "Sometimes."

He heard her shout "Hoss!" And dropped down to the ground avoiding being hit. "Thanks, Firecracker! You're up!" He rolled and planted his feet in a doubke kick sending it flying.

It exploded in a satisfying and colorful boom and Jubilee rushed to watch his back. "Just like that time in Madripoor!"

Walt shakes his head unloading his pistol into a thing going after Gwen while fending off another with the big blade. "You and I remember Madripoor differently!" He cuts it open as the tentacles hold it and kicked to the side.

Jubilee sees the opening detonates a plasm inside exploding the thing. "That time... at the pool?"

Walt smirks and nods and so does Jubilee. Walt charges right into the thick of the enemies. "Gwen! Round-up time! Pool!"

Gwenom sees him barrel through the swarm as the other girl starts drawing in power for a massive explosion. Gwenom grins and starts tossing out webbing quickly. Slowing them down, tripping them up all in one place as their attention is diverted on Walt. Then she she shoots a line into two trees.

Walt's barely able to stand atop the growing pile beneath he his feet. The only thing keeping him from getting buried. He fires the last round from the pistol and holsters it while lashing out with the blade, fists and feet as well as robotic tentacles. He sees Gwenom's ready and he sticks out his arm as she lauches herself slingshot style.

She flies through the air serenely and graceful, the beat of her heart is her music as she soars. She easily snags his hand and pulling him free and for a breif moment they're flying together. She see's him grin at her! It's not just her! He's the same kind of fool who loves these moments. This moment. Where there's nothing else. No past. No future. Just the knife edge of "now".

Then as the world explodes behind them in a kaleidoscope of colors they crash into the pool.

Walt sat on the lounger and poured water out of his boot. A figure blocks out the sun and he looks up into the grinning face of Jubilation Lee holding out one of the beers. "See? Just like Madripoor!"

Walt chuckles and sets the boot down with his other. He takes the beer and thinking about it nods smiling. "Pretty close," he agrees. She taps a second beer to his taking a drink and he does the same. "Where's Gwen?"

Jubilee jerks her thumb at what used to be the mansion. It still was recognizable as such but it was part plant now. "Inside getting you a towel! Handy that symbiote stuff. She didn't get wet at all while you..." she laughed.

Walt did too. "Yup. Just like old times! Don't supose Piotr left any old clothes in there?"

Jubilee laughed and put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll see! You sure as heck ain't going to fit into anyone else's!"

Walt looked at her then the beer in her hand. He took in the outfit. The coat was different but slightly yellowish thick material. The tight filled out jeans. The tight but stylish, black and pink striped vest. The old pink clunky sunglasses were gone too, replaced by small stylish black frames with pink lenses. She'd worn her old earings though. She looked... "Huh. You're all grown up now, brat." He shook his head. "Guess I can't keep calling you that anymore. You're a young lady now..."

Jubilee smiled and took off her coat sat across from him. She really was a lovely young woman. "I'm glad you recognized it right away! Seems like it took the others forever. Yeah I'm all grown up. I'm a sometimes teacher and squad member and a full-time mommy if you can believe it!"

Walt barely swallowed his beer without choking but managed. "You... uh... sorry I didn't hear... congratulations!"

She laughed outloud. "I adopted a kid, Walt! The look on your face! Priceless!"

Walt laughed too. "Ok. You're still a brat! But... I'm happy for you. You're going to be an excellent mother! You got a good heart. One of the best. I mean that. You're the best X-person that way in my opinion. That kids damn lucky. Congratulations!" He gave her a hug.

Jubilee laughed. "You're all wet!... but thank you, Walter. That means alot coming from you!"

They broke the hug smiling. "Soooo... you been gone for a few years and you choose today to come for a visit with your girlfriend?"

That time she got him and he diď choke and cough on his beer. He stood and started taking off wet clothes. "She's not... *cough* my girlfriend. *cough* Gwen's... " he paused coughing unsure how to continue. His slave. His property. His responsibility. His... "a friend *cough*... and..."

Jubilee stood and started helping him strip out of his harness and suit. "Special?"

Walt nodded. "She is..." he stripped out of his shirt. "She's very special."

Jubilee touched his shoulder and ran her fingers down his chest to his pants. Walt swallowed. The atmosphere had changed. "But... she ain't Your "girlfriend"?" She asked as she tugged at the waist and ran her fingers over to the top button.

Walt grabbed her hand and shook his head. "No."

Jubilee looked at him. "No what?" She smiled.

Walt shook his head. "I'm not sleeping with her like you're implying despite how attractive she is... and I am not sleeping with you despite how attracive you are."

Jubilee looks shocked and then hurt. "Is it because...?"

Walt kissed the top of her head. "It's because you are my friend and because I am very, very fond of you... and it would break my heart if anyone hurt you, including me... especially me. I know you had a smaller crush on me than Logan. Just like I know he's probably rejected you everytime. Your relationships complicated. It'd be "easier" with me... but I couldn't do that to you. Just like I couldn't do thst to her. I'd never be able to be "just a notch" to you and vice-versa for me. Same with Gwen... and... it wouldn't be fair to the others."

Jubilee sighed. "So you do have a girlfriend now... great... I feel so foolish. Stupid, Jubes! Stupid!" She sat smacking her head.

Walt sat next to her and put an arm around her. "You're not stupid at all! I just... I could never hurt you. You're really my favorite X-Person you know! But unlike... uh..."

She looked at him and sighed. "Jean and Ororo and-"

"Geez!" Walt said. "Freaking heck don't just go naming names! I don't want no X-drama! Some of the fellas are worse than the ladies in that department... infact most of them!!"

That made her laugh. It was one of the things she'd always liked about him! He was funny, smart, caring, just her type and seriously attractive... and he'd always treated her as one of the adults when he could. He'd recognized she'd grown up fast despite her childish antics. That was who "Jubilee" was... a role. A suit of armor to protect Jubilation Lee. A small bit of insulation. It always surprised her. Somepeople, people closest to her, still after all these years couldn't see "her"... and others were never fooled from the beginning. Her best friends, Logan... Walt.

She leaned her head against his shoulder. "You're saying that with the others it didn't mean the same... but it wouldn't work out the same for us because you..."She swallowed and thought *love me.* "care too much."

Walt nodded. "You're special, Jubes. I don't ever want to hurt the special people in my life. Any of them."

She smiled. *He loves her too,* she thought. *That much is super obvious! When he says 'special' he means 'love'. He's one of the good ones!* She sniffed and laughed. "Well can't blame a girl for trying! Your girlfriend is really lucky! Tell me about her?"

Gwen wiped at her eyes from where she'd been listening in unseen from up a tree. She needed to pull herself together before joinging them.

Walt chuckled nervously. He wasn't sure how to break the news he had ten and counting just now... "Sure but first what's up with this place?" He started fishing in his pockets to dry stuff out.

Jubilee looked around and laughed. "The usual! Got destroyed a couple times became the Jean Grey school for a while... it's a Krakoan habitat now. We basically use it like an embassy for Krakoa. A lot of the old X-places are like that now. X-Calibers light house and there's a "tree house" in Central Park for the X-Men. They're all connected... to Krakoa... what's wrong Walt?"

Walt had facepalmed. "Just realizing I'm an idiot and made a trip out here for nothing... but I'm glad I did... still doesn't change the fact I'm a dummy though... when you say Krakoa you mean the plant/earth elemental?"

Jubilee blinked. "The sovereign living island nation of mutants... you have been out of the loop awhile, haven't you?"

Walt nodded pulling out his wallet. "Yup."

She laughed. "FYI i didn't just adopt a kid I was turned into a vampire for awhile!"

Walt paused and shook his head... then started to laugh. "Let me guess..." he adopted a british accent. "I got better!"

Jubilee laughed too. "That's so old dude! Nobody quotes Monty Python!"

Walt grins. "Well remind me to bill Krakoa for "pest extermination" hey!"

Jubilee laughs. "Yeah. That's fine! Actually you really should! We're rolling in the dough for a change!" She looked around the mansions grounds. "Not that this place weren't swanky but it was a bitch on upkeep, keeping the fancy doodads running and rebuilding it again and again and again! But!" She stands up and pulls Walt down to whisper in his ear.

Walt smiles. "You don't say... Jubes, sweetheart. You just gave me several ideas!"

[Walter Stark Penny Polendina F.R.I.D.A.Y Neopolitan Pyrrha Nikos Nora Valkyrie Yang Xiao Long Blake Belladonna Kali Belladonna Sienna Khan Willow Schnee Glynda Goodwitch Zwei Ahnassi Lifts-Her-Tail Senko Sayoko Shinozaki Roberta Cisneros Haruna Sasha Blouse Ilulu Raven Manami Aiba also with Tsuyu Asui Haruhime Sanjouno The Baroness Demona Mystique Pirotess Lydia Aela the Huntress Serana Mission Vao Curie Ada PAM KL-E-O Merida and Gwenom

Will Return In

Start at the beginning Pt 14

Coming Soon]