Disclaimer: This fan fiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended.

“I swear chica, you keep this shit up an’ I’m paffing the pair of you.”

And Jubes let a couple of her fireworks dance across the edge of her knuckles, just to show that she meant business. Also tightened her grip on the steering-wheel of the SUV, since driving this baby was a whole lot more complicated when you had a super-strong, sexed-up mutant in the back seat trying to pull her ex’s clothes off. And it wasn’t like that ex was putting up much of a fight. As expected her threat had exactly zero impact on either Marie or her very public quest to get Wolvie’s belt-buckle open: Chica just kept chasing that rainbow, whatever elements of that Daken dude’s personality being forced from the fore by good ole-fashioned hormones. Soon as she’d woken up she’d started making with the grabby and nothing anyone said seemed to slow her down. Whatever the Daken dude had dosed her with was powerful- Though Jubes silently wondered whether Marie was playing up the horny so that she didn’t have to deal with yet another wicked, humanity-hating presence in her head. Rogue made another pass, causing Logan to yelp- “Hands in private places, darlin’!” And despite the gravity of the situation she saw Kitty bite her cheek in amusement. Jubes fought the urge to roll her eyes: It wasn’t that she objected to Marie and Logan getting down and dirty- in fact, once they got back to the Mansion she had a few schemes to make that skank Callum totally of the past- She just didn’t enjoy trying to drive a getaway vehicle with the pair of them getting so fucking gymnastic.

It hadn’t worked during the Murdoch extraction two years ago and it sure as Hell wasn’t gonna work now.

Despite herself her gaze was drawn to Stark then. He was staring into space, his expression lost and haunted, his hands still streaked with his wife’s blood. Jubes would have thought he’d want to keep Emma with him but he’d wrapped her in a blanket they found in the boot and then trudged into the car, not saying a word to anyone. Staring at his wrecked, metal-covered hands like they could give him an answer to what he’d found back there. Jubes couldn’t blame him: The loss would hit anyone hard. But it was downright creepy to see the normally mouthy, devil-may-care billionaire so shattered. For a split second Jubes considered how she’d react if anything ever happened to Remy but instantly she forced the thought down-

Death could keep her grubby paws to herself when it came to her husband. If she had to drag his ass outta Hades with her bare hands, she’d make sure her Gambit was safe til the day she died.

The turn off to the X-Ranch came up on their right then, and Jubes gunned it. The impact tossing Marie into Logan’s lap and making the pair grin at their new position. And once again, Wolvie, getting the impression that you’re not trying very hard to fight her off. Jubes heaved a silent sigh of relief: The sooner they got to Stacey’s the better. She had to call the Mansion, brief Hank and Storm, see if Stark wanted them to contact anyone. She remembered the red-head she’d seen at his office the day Marie threatened him and she wondered if that was the infamous Pepper Potts; She’d have to ask, see if he had a number for her because the boy genius wasn’t in any state to handle transporting a corpse himself. Beside her Marie gave another growl, her hands having (once again) slipped free from Wolvie’s grasp and started roaming. Logan grabbed them again, giving her his sternest look and Rogue darted forward, kissing him lightly on the nose. Giggling.

“This is gonna get really old, really quick, isn’t it?” Jubes muttered to herself.

“Of course it is,” Kitty answered. Still smirking. “But for the time being it’s entertaining so maybe we should just go with the flow.” Rogue let out a sound, somewhere between a growl and a squeal, which not even Jubes knew she was capable of making and despite herself a small smile split her face.

“Hey, at least chica’s happy,” she murmured, “and that’s not a common situation-”

“No, it’s not,” Stark said from his seat beside her then. His eyes still on his hands. Jubes wondered why he hadn’t said anything to Logan and Marie about their behaviour- after all, it wasn’t exactly respectful of his emotional state- but he hadn’t. Just stared ahead of him… Which she belatedly realised was a bit weird. She and Kitty exchanged a pointed look and the Kitten leaned back, giving Logan and Marie her attention while Jubes whispered confidentially, “Do you want me to paff them? Because I will, it just might not slow ’em down any…”

But Stark shook his head. He was smiling this tight, sad smile that seemed to carry the weight of the world in it. “They’re happy,” he told her softly. “Once this is over, they’ll be together and they’ll make one another happy. I’m not enough of an asshole to begrudge them that, Mrs. LeBeau.”

She shook her head. “It’s Jubes… Tony.” He shot her a tiny smile. “And you’ve just lost your wife so if you wanna-”

“I lost Emma a long time ago,” he spoke over her. Anger and then guilt flickering across his face. “You might say I lost her the day I asked her to marry me. But what happened back there is my burden, not theirs.” And he shot Marie and Logan an odd look, the expression…longing. They were damn hard to be around when you had a broken heart, Jubes knew that, but this was different. This was almost… guilty. And again with the weirdness. “He’ll protect her, won’t he?” Stark asked suddenly.

“If she’ll let him.” Which Jubilee knew was a mighty big If these days.

“Then they’ve nothing to apologise for.” And a small smile flitted across his face, like he was remembering something. Probably something to do with his wife. Jubes decided to leave well alone and give him some space for his grief, pulling back and staring at the road. Leaving Kitty to stage-manage the back-seat skin show and make sure nothing got removed or inserted while they still had an audience… Though experience told Jubes that was easier said than done. The firecracker put her foot down, speeding as fast as she dared to the X-Ranch, already planning who she’d call first (she felt a sudden longing to talk to Remy) and what she’d say. How she’d handle things. She left Stark alone for the rest of the trip there-

And in the boot of the SUV something sounded. A breath being taken, heat returning to flesh that had too long been cold. The blanket moved, its occupant struggling to stretch after too much confinement-

I really should get over-time for this shit, Mystique thought.