Disclaimer: Marvel owns the X-Men, not me. I’m making no money off this. Don’t sue. The song at the beginning, "Jubilee," is written and performed by Mary Chapin Carpenter, and is from her album, Stones in the Road. Trisha Yearwood performs "Powerful Thing" and Toby Keith performs "You Shouldn’t Kiss Me Like This." I don’t own those either, so again, don’t sue.

Summary: Wolverine and Jubilee try to rebuild their friendship after years apart and discover that maybe things between them have changed more than they realize… (Part two in a series)

Rating: PG-13

Author’s Note: Like with part one, if you don’t like W/J romantic pairings, DO NOT read this! The only two X-Men in this story are Wolverine and Jubilee and there is definitely romance. You have been warned. Flamers will be teleported to Ancient Rome and fed to hungry lions. Also, if you like this or any of my stories PLEASE visit my homepage at https://www.angelfire.com/scifi/addielogan. It has all my stories as well as my fanart. Thanks a bunch! I’d also like to say thank you to all the people who gave me feedback on the first part of this story. Thanks for all the nice stuff y’all said!

Feedback and Archiving: Feedback please! If you’re reading this at fanfiction.net, please be nice and make use of that little review form at the bottom of the page and I’ll be eternally grateful. J Also, if you’d like to archive this anywhere, feel free, just let me know where you’re putting it.

By: Addie Logan (addie_logan@yahoo.com)

She told him she go anywhere with him, to the depths of hell if need be. He took her to Canada. Now Jubilee sat beside Wolverine in his old yellow jeep, staring out the window at nothing but snow and trees for miles, on the way to his cabin in Alberta.

"So what exactly do you do when you come up here anyway?" Jubilee asked, deciding it was time to break the three-hour long silence.

"Drink beer, smoke cigars, bash heads together, and spend my spare time with beautiful women," Wolverine replied, taking a drag off his cheroot.

"Sounds charming," Jubilee said, her tone coated thick with sarcasm.

"Hey, Kid, don’t forget you asked to tag along," Wolverine said.

"I know." Jubilee thought for a moment, then added, "You know, Logan, I’m not some thirteen year old ‘tagging along’ after you all the time anymore. I have my own life now, and I’m putting it all on hold to be here with you, to spend some time with a person I consider an old friend. I think it’s about time you notice that I’ve grown up."

"Believe me, Darlin’, I’ve definitely noticed just how much you’ve grown up," Wolverine thought, remembering the unsettling thoughts he’d had towards her back at the mansion, only a few days earlier. "Don’t start up on me, okay Kid?"

Jubilee was glaring out the window now, glaring at the vast, bleak whiteness. She’s always hated the way Wolverine treated her like a child, but it bothered her even more now that she was actually was an adult. "Do you have to smoke in here?" she asked, waving a cloud of cigar smoke away from her face.

"Yeah, I do," Logan said, blowing out a puff of smoke. "And don’t think I won’t put you out if you keep up that complainin’."

Jubilee glared harder. "You’re an ass."

"I’m a what?"

"You heard me—an ass."

"I am not."

"Yes you are. You’re just so much of an ass that you don’t even realize it," Jubilee replied. "Sometimes I wonder why I even put up with you."

"You haven’t been puttin’ up with much of me lately," Wolverine said.

"I must’ve had a temporary attack of sanity," Jubilee muttered.

"If I’m such an ass, why are you taggin’ along after me again?" Logan asked.

Jubilee wanted to scream, but she figured that would accomplish absolutely nothing. "I’m not tagging along, Wolverine. I’m just here because I don’t want you to get away from me again."

"Why?"

"I don’t know."

Wolverine frowned as he put out his cigar.

*** *** ***

"You can take the bedroom an’ I’ll sleep on the couch," Logan told Jubilee as they walked inside his dark, old cabin.

"Are you sure?" Jubilee asked. "This is your place after all."

"Yeah, I’m sure. Wouldn’t be right for me to make you sleep on the couch." "Or for us to share the bed." The last thought passed quickly through Logan’s mind, and he grimaced, hoping that the feelings he’d started developing for Jubilee back at the mansion weren’t returning.

"If it really doesn’t bother you…" Jubilee said with a shrug.

"Just go put your stuff down in there," Logan said, gesturing towards the cabin’s single bedroom.

Jubilee went in and put her bag down on the floor. "Is there any light in here?" she called out to Logan.

"Should be a lantern on the table beside the bed," he answered back.

Jubilee made a quick paf in order to illuminate the room just long enough to see where she had to go in order to find the lantern. She stumbled through the dark, until she finally turned the lantern on, slowly filling the room with soft light.

She glanced around, seeing that the only things in the room were a bed, table, rug, and a chair beside the window. A second door was in the back of the room, and Jubilee guessed it probably led to a closet. "Looks like typical Logan interior decorating," she muttered.

Logan came as far as the doorway and stopped. "Everythin’ okay in here, Darlin’?" he asked.

"Yeah, it’s fine," Jubilee replied.

He pointed to the door in the back. "Should be some closet space if you need it."

Jubilee opened the closet door and peeked in. "Wow, I didn’t know that flannel could flourish and multiply so well in captivity," she said.

Logan tried to glare at her, but ended chuckling. "Hush, Kid."

Jubilee turned around and grinned at him. "All I’m saying is, if you ever decided to quit the whole superhero thing and become a lumberjack, you’d be aptly prepared."

"Still a smart aleck, I see."

"But you love me anyway."

Wolverine chuckled again. "Sure, Kid."

Jubilee sat down on the bed. "You know, you don’t have to stand in the doorway if you want to talk to me. This is still your room after all."

Wolverine came into the room, pulled the chair over so he was facing her, and sat down. "This better?" he asked.

"Yeah." Jubilee sat there for a minute, chewing on her bottom lip as she thought. "So is this all you do when you come up here? Hang out in a cabin and wait for the women, beer, and heads-to-bash to just show up?"

"Nah, I find all that stuff at a bar a little ways up the road," Logan said. "Carrie’s Place."

Jubilee rolled her eyes. "So basically the same thing you do no matter where you are. Aren’t you the exciting one."

"Hope you didn’t follow me up here expectin’ to be entertained."

Jubilee sighed. "I’m not expecting anything from you, Logan," she said. "And for the last time, I didn’t ‘follow you.’ I came with you."

"Tagged along with me."

Jubilee stood up. "Fine. Since you obviously don’t want me here, I’ll leave."

Wolverine grabbed her arm, forcing her to sit back on the bed. "I never said that. Besides, Kid, we’re out in the middle of nowhere. There ain’t a place for ya to go if ya leave."

Jubilee snatched her arm out of his grip. "Stop calling me Kid," she growled at him through clenched teeth. "I’m twenty-three years old now. I’m not a mall-rat in a yellow raincoat. I’m not a So-Cal teen with the uncanny ability of putting at least seventeen syllables into any word. A lot has changed in the five years since you disappeared from my life, and the child you knew is long gone."

Logan was taken aback by her anger. "Sorry. Old habit I guess."

"Well drop it."

"Yeah, sure, Jubilee."

A long, uncomfortable silence followed, with neither Wolverine nor Jubilee able to look each other in the eye. "I’m goin’ out to the bar. You comin’?"

Jubilee looked up, puzzled. "Are you inviting me to tag along now?" she asked.

Logan gave her a crooked grin. "Nope. I’m invitin’ you to come with me."

"You gonna ignore me and hit on every other woman in the room?" Jubilee asked.

"Nope. Not gonna leave you alone and let any of those slimeballs in there get anywhere near ya."

"If they’re slimeballs, why are we going?"

Logan laughed. "’Cause they’re my kinda people."

"All right then," Jubilee said. "Let’s go."

*** *** ***

Jubilee sat at a table in the dark, smoky bar enjoying herself much more than she’d thought she would—even with loud country music coming from the jukebox and air so thick with cigarette smoke that she could hardly breathe. Logan had stayed true to his word about not ignoring her. Although he did leave her a few times, it was never long enough to allow any of the so-called "slimeballs" anywhere near her. Jubilee had to laugh at the way Logan would chase off any guy that as much as even looked at her.

After a while, a woman that Jubilee had seen Logan talking to earlier came over to their table and sat down. She had long, dark hair, brown eyes, and appeared to be in her early to mid forties. "Damn, Logan, you’re gonna have to stop being so protective of your date tonight," she said with a grin. "You’re scaring off all my male customers."

"Sorry about that, Carrie," Logan said. "But I can’t let any of those," he flashed Jubilee a quick grin, "slimeballs, anywhere near her. Although for the record, she ain’t my date."

Carrie raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Well that’s something new, coming from you, Logan. If she’s not your date, then who is she?"

Jubilee stuck her hand out in front of her. "Jubilation Lee, although most people just call me Jubilee. I’m an old friend of Logan’s."

Carrie shook Jubilee’s hand. "Well it’s nice to meet you, Jubilee. I’m Carrie Black. I own this place."

A man from across the room winked at Jubilee. "Be right back," Wolverine said, standing up. "Goin’ to fulfill his obvious deathwish."

Carrie laughed as Wolverine got up and made his way to the other man’s table. "You sure you ain’t his date?" she asked.

"I’m sure," Jubilee said. "Logan and I have never been anything but friends. We just watch out for each other."

"How long have you known him?" Carrie asked.

"About ten years."

Carrie and Jubilee both laughed as they saw the man who’d winked at Jubilee run from the bar. "You’re payin’ his tab!" Carrie called out to Logan. He smiled and gave her a nod.

Wolverine was making his way back to the table when a girl came up to him and drug him away to the dance floor. "Jeez, I never knew Logan was such a dancer until tonight," Jubilee commented.

"He has a way with women," Carrie said.

"So I’ve noticed."

"Why don’t you go dance with him?" Carrie asked.

"Me? I don’t think so," Jubilee replied.

"Why not? You’re his friend, and date or not, you did come with him."

"Uh, I don’t like country music?"

"Not a good excuse," Carrie said, going over to Jubilee and pulling her out of her chair. "Go on, cut in." Carrie gave her an almost-devilish smile. "You said you two watch out for each other. Save him from the skank he’s dancin’ with now."

Jubilee broke into a fit of giggles. "When you put it that way…"

Carrie pushed Jubilee towards the dance floor and Wolverine. She walked up to Logan and cleared her throat. He looked up and Jubilee moved his current dancing partner out of the way. "Move along, Sweetheart, he’s with me tonight," Jubilee said, making the woman storm off in a huff.

Logan laughed as Jubilee immediately fell into step with him. "What did ya do that for?" he asked.

"Got bored, figured I’d get up and dance. And since someone chased off all the other possible partners…"

"Same ol’ Jubes," Logan said, pulling her closer as the jukebox continued to play.

*** *** ***

Logan sat alone on the couch long after Jubilee had gone to bed. He’d had a better time that night with her than he’d had with anyone in a long time, and that scared him even more than what he’d felt back at the mansion. He could handle simply desiring her. Those feelings were easy for him to fight off when he really put his mind to it. But this…this was something much different, much harder to deny. He’d made an oath to himself after Jean left him that he wasn’t going to fall for another woman, that it was just too much for him to deal with. But whether he’d sworn off real relationships or not, Jubilee was entirely out of the question. She was too young, just a kid.

Logan shook his head. No, she wasn’t a kid anymore, and that was the root of the problem. She’d grown up in their time apart, and he’d noticed, even if she believed he hadn’t. She wasn’t even out of his age range, although she just barely made it in. But none of that mattered. She was Jubilee and he was not going to take advantage of her like that.

Logan frowned. Would it be taking advantage? What if she was thinking the same way he was? He’d always suspected she’d had a crush on him before, what if some of those old feelings still existed? Could it be possible she’d been wanting him the same way he’d been wanting her?

He buried his head in his hands, trying to stop his thoughts. It didn’t matter what either one of them wanted or felt, it wouldn’t be right. "She deserves so much better than someone like me," Logan thought.

"Wolvie?" The soft voice calling to him made Logan look up.

"Hey, Darlin’," he said, feeling almost "caught," as if she’d been able to see what he’d been thinking. "Shouldn’t you be asleep by now."

"Yeah, I was for a little bit, but I woke up." She sat down beside him on the couch, and Logan fought back the urge to pull her into his arms as he remembered what it had felt like to hold her while they’d danced.

"You should go back. Ya need sleep," Wolverine said, hoping his voice didn’t sound as shaky as he felt.

"I know. I tried to fall back asleep, but I couldn’t," Jubilee said.

"You all right?"

"Yeah. I just turn into somewhat of an insomniac at times," Jubilee explained.

Wolverine took a deep breath and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer so she could rest her head on his shoulder. "Just try to relax, Darlin’. I don’t want ya gettin' worn out on me." He stroked her long, black hair, telling himself that this was okay, that it was a safe way for him to hold her.

The warmth of Logan’s body near hers and the rhythmic sounds of his breathing and heartbeat began to lull Jubilee back to sleep. "Night, Wolvie," she murmured as her eyelids grew heavy.

"Night, Kid."

"Don’t call me Kid," she said, already half asleep.

"Wish you still were a kid," he said once he knew she was no longer conscious. He picked her up and carried her back to bed, forcing himself to leave and not lay down beside her.

*** *** ***

A week later, Jubilee sat at a table at Carrie’s Place, chatting with Carrie while Logan talked to some of the people he called his friends. "You’ve been in here with Logan every night this week, and rumor has it, you’re staying with him in his cabin," Carrie said. "Still stickin’ with the ‘just friends’ story?"

"We are ‘just friends,’" Jubilee said. "Logan would never look at me any other way."

Carrie gave Jubilee a sly smile. "Do I hear a tone of regret there?" she asked.

Carrie’s comment confused Jubilee. "What do you mean by that?"

"The way you said that, it sounded like maybe you’d like for Logan to look at you in another way," Carrie said.

"That’s crazy," Jubilee said.

"You’re telling me that in all the years you’ve known Logan you’ve never been even mildly attracted to him?"

"No!" Jubilee answered. "I mean, I used to be—kind of. When I was younger I had a crush on him. Never told him that, though."

"Just when you were younger?" Carrie questioned, leaning in closer to Jubilee. "All those feelings gone now?"

"Of course! It was just an adolescent crush, nothing more."

Carrie glanced over at Logan. "Well, I guess that could’ve been all it was. Logan is quite a man, though. There’s something about him…"

"I know," Jubilee said, blushing a little.

Carrie didn’t miss the extra bit of color on Jubilee’s cheeks. "I think you still like him," she declared.

"That’s insane!" Jubilee yelled, getting defensive. She calmed down some, lowering her voice. "We’ve never had anymore than a close friendship, and we never will. Even if I did have those sorts of feelings for Logan—which I don’t—nothing would ever come of it. He thinks of me as a kid."

"Are you sure about that?" Carrie asked.

"Yes," Jubilee replied. "And I think for the most part I’ve been getting on his nerves. He’s been practically avoiding me for most of the week."

Carrie glanced back up at Logan and noticed him watching Jubilee. He turned away as soon as he saw Carrie looking at him. "Maybe. Look, I’ve got customers to attend to. You gonna be okay by yourself?"

"I’m sure I can handle it," Jubilee replied with a frown.

"I’ll come back and talk with ya some more in a bit," Carrie said, getting up. "Oh, some of us are driving into the next town over tomorrow for this carnival they hold every year. You and Logan should come."

"I don’t know about that," Jubilee said. "I doubt Logan’s real big on carnivals."

"You should try to talk him into it," Carrie said. "Everyone needs a little fun in their lives."

"I’ll do my best," Jubilee promised. "but with Logan, everything’s a challenge."

*** *** ***

"Oh would you stop your grumbling," Jubilee said as she and Logan got out of his car.

Logan looked forward at the sights of the carnival a little ways in the distance. "I can’t believe I let ya talk me into this," he said.

Jubilee linked her arm with his. "C’mon, Wolvie. It’ll be fun." She started trying to tug him forward. "Hurry up. We need to go before Carrie and the others leave us behind."

"If they leave us behind can we go home?"

Jubilee smacked him playfully on the arm, careful not to hit hard enough to hurt herself on his adamantium-laced bones. "Stop being such a baby."

"I’m not bein’ a baby."

"That was convincing."

Wolverine sighed and began to move towards the carnival. Jubilee kept her arm linked with his as they walked. "You’re going to drag me on rides, aren’t ya?" he said.

Jubilee gave him a mischievous grin. "Oh yeah."

"Remind me why I keep you around again," Wolverine teased.

"Well, because I’m smart, fun to be with, beautiful…"

Logan clamped his free hand over her mouth, cutting off her string of personal attributes. "I get the picture, Darlin’."

Wolverine moved his hand away and Jubilee stuck her tongue out at him. "Mean," she said.

Logan laughed. "You’re remindin’ me of your old self tonight, Jubes."

"That a bad thing?" she asked.

"Nope, not at all," he replied.

"Good," she said, starting to pull on him again as she sped up her pace. "Let’s get going."

*** *** ***

Logan was surprised to admit that he’d actually been enjoying himself with her at the carnival. Jubilee had somehow talked him into doing all sorts of things he normally wouldn’t have done, and truth be told, he was glad she had. He hadn’t had that much fun in years. She’d gotten him to win her a teddy bear at one of the games. Jubilee had named the bear "Logan," and she and Carrie had spent a good bit of time meticulously brushing the fur on the top of the bear’s head into little points, something that Logan found annoyed him a lot less than it would have normally.

They’d spent most of the day with Carrie and some of the others from the bar, but now it was just the two of them sitting together on the Ferris Wheel, with Jubilee between him and his plush doppelganger. The sun had gone down, and Logan had to admit she looked absolutely stunning bathed in pale moonlight. "You enjoyin’ yourself, Darlin’?" he asked.

"Yep," Jubilee said. She looked up and met his eyes. "You?"

"Don’t quote me on this, but yeah, I am."

She smiled. "I’m glad. You’ve been so distant ever since our first night here, I was starting to wonder if you didn’t like having me around," she said.

"I’ve never minded your company," he told her.

"Can I quote you on that?"

"No."

Jubilee smiled and Logan put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. "Thanks," he said.

"For what?" she asked.

"For talkin’ me into comin’ here today. For comin’ with me an’ keepin’ me company. For forgivin’ me for bein’ such an ass over the past five years."

Jubilee fought back the urge to cry at Logan’s words. Coming from him, that meant a lot. "You’re welcome," she said, her words made soft by emotion.

They rode the rest of the ride in silence, and when it was over, Logan took hold of her hand to help her get down. He was still holding it as they walked down the midway, surrounded on both sides by rigged games and loud carnies.

"Hey, Mister, why don’t ya win your girlfriend another stuffed animal!" one man yelled out at Logan. Wolverine gave him a funny look, but kept walking.

"Hey, test your strength and impress that pretty girl on your arm!" another person yelled. Logan frowned. Why were they saying that? Couldn’t they see she was too young for him? He looked down at his hand, still entwined with Jubilee’s. They certainly did look like a couple. And although he was a great deal older than Jubilee, it was impossible to tell just how much simply by looking at them. His healing factor had taken care of that. Maybe the thought of them being together wasn’t so absurd…

"Wolvie? Wolverine? Hello? Are you even listening to me?" Jubilee’s voice pulled Logan back into the present.

"Sorry, Darlin’," he said. "I got a little lost in thought."

"Yeah, I figured as much. What I said was, Carrie told me she was going to open her bar up after we got back from here so some of us could hang out if we wanted. You wanna go?"

"You want to?" Logan asked.

"Yeah. If you’re up to it, of course."

"Darlin’, have you ever seen me pass up the chance to get a beer?"

Jubilee’s laughter was her only response.

*** *** ***

Logan seemed more alive to Jubilee somehow that night once they got back to Carrie’s Place, more like the man she remembered knowing in her youth. He’d barely left her side since the carnival, and she had to say she liked the attention. He sat close to her in one of the booths, his arm draped casually around her shoulders. She looked up at Carrie, and the older woman gave her a wink, making Jubilee blush.

Wolverine finished the last of his drink. "You wanna dance?" he asked.

"Sounds good to me," Jubilee said, already getting out of the booth.

Logan led her out onto the dance floor just as a slow song began. He wrapped his arms around Jubilee and pulled her close to him, slowly swaying with her back and forth to the music.

Jubilee looked up and her eyes locked with Logan’s. Something passed between them, and the rest of the world seemed to stop. They moved in closer to each other, and in a moment that felt like an eternity, their lips met.

As the world began to re-emerge around them, Logan and Jubilee moved apart. He looked into her eyes, searching for regret, but found nothing but love and acceptance. He ran his thumb over her soft cheek and leaned in to kiss her again.

The song ended and so did the kiss. Logan opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a round of applause and even a few whistles. He looked up to see that everyone had been watching them. He felt his cheeks turn red with an uncharacteristic blush, and knew instinctively that Jubilee’s were, too. He took her hand and led her back over to their booth.

"Sorry, Darlin’," he said, once they were sitting down again. "Didn’t know anyone was watchin’."

"It’s all right," Jubilee said. She looked up to see that all eyes in the place were still on them. "Can we leave now?"

"I can make ‘em stop starin’ if you want," Logan offered.

"No, I just want to leave."

Logan felt his heart sink. Jubilee didn’t want him like that, and now he’d hurt her. She’d only been caught in the moment, and now the regret was there. That had to be it. "Yeah, Kid, let’s go."

*** *** ***

Neither Logan nor Jubilee spoke a word on the ride back to the cabin. Jubilee couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss. Her lips still tingled. Had it affected Logan the same way it had her? She was sure that it had, but then he’d called her "Kid" again, something he hadn’t done since their first night there. She was still uncertain about her feelings about Logan; however, she’d decided they were something she wanted to explore further the instant their lips had touched. Was that chance lost to her now?

Logan parked his jeep, and they got out and walked to the cabin in silence. Wolverine unlocked the door, letting them in. "Night, Jubilee," he said once they were inside.

"Night, Logan," she replied, going towards the bedroom. She glanced back at Wolverine, his expression unreadable in the almost non-existent light. She went into the room and closed the door, leaning against it for support. What had happened between them on that dance floor? Was it something sudden, or had it been building up for a while? She didn’t know, and wasn’t sure if she even cared. All she knew was she had felt something when she’d been in Logan’s arms, and she didn’t want to let it slip away from her.

Jubilee opened the door back out and took a step out of the room. Logan stood in the living room still, staring out the window with his back to her. "Wolvie?" she called out so softly that he wouldn’t have been able to hear it with out his ultra-sensitive hearing.

Logan wheeled around at the sound of Jubilee saying his name. He met her eyes, saw what was written in them, and moved over to her so quickly that she wasn’t even sure if his feet had ever touched the ground. He took her into his arms and kissed her with such passion that Jubilee didn’t care about anything else in the entire universe. All that mattered was at that moment she was in Logan’s arms, and it was exactly where she wanted to be.

*** *** ***

The first few rays of the dawn’s light came in through the window, illuminating Jubilee’s sleeping face. Logan smiled as he pushed a strand of hair off her cheek, marveling at how beautiful she looked. "I don’t deserve ya, Kid," he thought as he continued to stroke her hair.

But Logan knew that was a thought for later, once Jubilee woke up and they had a chance to talk about how everything had changed between them in just one night. He wasn’t sure how she’d feel about them once she woke up, if she’d feel differently in the light of day. Logan knew none of that mattered now. For now he was content to just watch her sleep.

______________________________________________________________________________

Up next: Jubilee wakes up and discusses with Logan what’s happened to their relationship. Send me feedback and let me know what you thought of the second story in my "Back Where the Sun Can Find You" series.

E-Mail: Addie_Logan@yahoo.com

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