-The character s aren’t mine so neither are the lawsuits
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Sleepin’ Beauty
Secrets can’t stay secrets forever.
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I parked my scoot in the garage, in the same place I had always left it. The
empty spot was waiting for me. *Nothin’s changed.* My smile never quite
shifted the expression frozen on my face by the 400 miles worth of wind from
the last few hours on my Harley. No better way to travel. I grabbed my
duffel bag off the back of my scoot—only one, I travel light—and headed for
the back door.
Snow flurries had been falling for almost half an hour, but now they were
starting to stick. Smelled good. First snow of the season always does.
Something cleansing about it. Like startin’ over…again. Like comin’ home.
Pausing for just half a second to look at the door, I stepped into the
kitchen. The light was soft and the air warm, whole new world compared to
outside. Drake, Betsy and Hank swung their heads around to look at me. The
surprise was still on the men’s faces when Betsy threw her arms around me.
She whispered in my ear, “Welcome home Logan,” in an embrace so quick that
by the time I had my arms raised to hug her back, she was backing away and
Hank was slapping my shoulders.
Drake never got up from the table. He just put down his newspaper, waved and
said, “Hey Wolvester.”
“Hey Icicle.”
Then Jean walked in. “Logan!” She smiled. It was beautiful but, hell, it
hurt. She walked that walk of hers across the kitchen and hugged me. She
took too long to let go. *Ahh hell.* She was holdin’ on so tight I didn’t
have to hold her back to keep her feet from touching the floor. She smelled
so good, no other scent like it in the world. The rest of the room got
quiet. Hank cleared his throat. Jean let go. “We’ve all missed you, and
we’re glad you’re home.”
*Always ‘we’ never ’I’* She reached up and started pickin’ snow out of my
hair, still too close. I felt myself really wantin’ to smile, but I held
back. I had to. It just wouldn’t be right.
Cyke walked in next. “What’s all this commotion I hear?” Jean took a step
back as he reached out to shake my hand. “Good to see you’re back Logan.”
Jean clasped on to his other arm, her head against his shoulder. Hurt like
hell. I forced the distraction to the back of my thoughts.
Something was missing. “Where’s Jubes?”
“I believe our young firecracker has turned in early this evening—” *Real
early for her. It’s only just past midnite.* “—though she most assuredly
would have persevered her exhaustion had your arrival been anticipated.”
*Good ole Hank.* Clapped him on the shoulder as I made my way towards
Jubilee’s room. “She’d kill me if I didn’t wake her up.” I heard a couple of
laughs, but it was true. Even though I knew I’d get an earful for disturbing
her sleep. *That’s my girl.* Walking down the dark hall I realized how much
I’d missed her.
>>She’s missed you a lot.<< There was no one there. It was Jean’s voice in
my head. >>She’s been moping lately, and worse, she’s been trying to hide
it.<< Before I could respond she said, >>You came home just in time.<< And
she was gone. Too many thoughts there. From Jean comin’ and goin’ in my head
to Jubes and who’s watchin’ out fer her when I’m not around, and whether
that’s too often or not often enough. Too many thoughts.
As I reached for Jubilee’s doorknob I noticed something. It didn’t smell
right. Smelled empty. I opened the door and went in and sniffed. No stray
scents. Nobody there, and definitely not Jubes. Even in the dark I could see
that her bed hadn’t been touched. *Where is she?* I went back to check the
rec room. No Jubes. Well it was time for me to turn in, so I decided to go
back to my room after a quick snack from the kitchen. *Somebody left me a
drumstick. Perfect* Jubes would know I was back soon enough and come find
me. I caught Jubilee’s scent as I approached my door. *So she is around.
Well she must be asleep or I’d hear her running around lookin’ fer me. I’m
gonna get it tomorrow for not wakin’ her up. Doesn’t matter to her that she
ain’t where she’s supposed to be.*
My door was locked. I know I didn’t lock it. So I had to wonder who would
lock it and why. And why hadn’t anyone mentioned it to me? *Time to find
out.* Too tired to look around for a key, I popped a claw. Adamantium slices
neatly through the locking mechanism of a brass door knob. Pretty quiet too.
Lights were out. Nothin’ outta place. Heard breathin’. Slow and steady.
Someone sleepin’. I inhaled deeply. There was someone in my room all right.
And—by the strength and concentration of the scent—had been there for a
while. It was Jubilee’s scent.
Sure enough. There she was. Curled up in my bed with her arms wrapped around
my pillow in a death grip. Sound asleep.
What Jean had telepathically said earlier hit home. I stood over her,
watchin’ her sleep for a minute, deciding whether or not to wake her up and
move her. *I could sleep on my couch and let her find me when she wakes up
in the morning. She’d feel guilty about kickin’ me outta my own bed. Nah,
then she’d kill me and then be grumpy at me for a week. But it sure would be
fun to rile her up. Another time.* I leaned over her tightly huddled frame.
“Jubes, wake up.” She curled up tighter. I moved a piece of her hair that
was hanging over her eyes. “Jubilee, who’s been eatin’ my porridge?”
She started awake and looked at me, rubbed her eyes and looked again.
“Wolvie!” And then she mauled me. *That’s my little firecracker.*
After a minute she settled down. As settled as Jubes ever gets. I just
looked at her. She knew what question I was thinkin’.
“I missed you Wolvie. You weren’t around, so your room was the next best
thing. But anyway, you’re back so now I can talk to you. You’re not mad at
me for bein’ here are you?” I shook my head. *Now I’m in for it. Here it
comes.* “Sit down, I’ve got a lot to tell you. I mean you’ve been gone for
like a month. Wait a minute? Porridge? You callin’ me Goldilocks?”
“You said it, darlin’, not me.” I kicked off my boots and sat on the bed
leaning my back up against the wall. Not comfortable enough. Stretched my
legs out in front of me lengthwise on the bed. Put my hands behind my head.
Better. Jubes was sittin’ by where my knees were, chatterin’ away. Changin’
positions as often as she changed stories. I heard about her new roller
blades, how boring school is, how many pranks her and Drake have pulled off
since Thanksgiving, about the concert she went to three weeks earlier, and
about more danger room scenarios and shopping trips than I can count. The
last thing I remember, she was laying on her side, head on her hand propped
up on an elbow, yawnin’ every other word.
I’d slept in. But I’d slept well. Been a while since I’d done that. I gave
a little stretch and realized that I’d slept in my clothes right on top of
my blankets and all. My mind flashed back to the night before. *I musta
fallen asleep while Jubes was talkin’. Well, I’ll hear about it when Jubes
gets up. Take a while to live that one down with her.* I moved to get up and
I made another discovery. I wasn’t alone.
Closed my eyes tight. *No. It can’t be.* But there’s no foolin’ my sense of
smell. I looked down. There was Jubilee, curled up in my arms sleepin’ like
a rock. Even snorin’ a little. *What have I done?*
But then I realized that the answer to that question was nothing. I was
still in my clothes. And Jubes was alone under the blanket, well mostly
under it. Enough of her was sticking out for me to see that she was in her
pajamas. I recognized them because they were an old t-shirt and pair of
boxers she’d gotten second hand from me. *Jubes wearin’ my clothes. Thought
only married couples did that. Feels good havin’ her here like this, close
to me. Feels right. Like somethin’ out of a memory I shoulda had. A memory I
should have. Stop! You can’t think that way. This is Jubilee, she’s just a
kid, just…how old is she now? Seventeen. Not a kid for much longer. But
still a kid now. Time to put Jubes back in her own room. No reason for her
to know she’d slept the whole night in my bed with me. She might get ideas.
Like I did. Can’t hurt her like that.*
I slid out of bed as smoothly as I could, trying not to disturb her. I felt
the cold air where Jubes had been nestled against me. *It was nothin’. Just
keepin’ each other warm, like campin’* But a tiny voice kept sayin’ to me,
“But you weren’t campin’. You weren’t sleepin’ under the sky. It was Jubes.
An’ you didn’t want it to end.”
Real gentle like, I picked her up and carried her back to her room. That
strange smell struck me again. But I ignored it for the moment as I tucked
Jubes into her own bed, careful not to wake her. She looked so peaceful. *My
little firecracker, my little Jubilee.* I found myself sweeping the hair
away from her eyes. She was still. I leaned over close to her face. And I
kissed her forehead. My lips were almost touching hers before I realized
what I was doing and I pulled away. Her lips were parted just the tiniest
bit. She looked like Sleeping Beauty waitin’ for her Prince to wake her with
a kiss. *She’ll have to wait a little longer. Who am I kiddin’? A lot
longer.*
As I turned to leave I recognized the strange smell in Jubes’ room. It was
stale. Her dresser was covered in a layer of dust. So was most of the floor.
*She hasn’t been in here in weeks. She’s been livin’ in my room almost as
long as I’ve been gone. So last night wasn’t her first night in my bed.
What’s wrong Jubes?*
Before I closed her door I took one last look at Jubes sleepin’. It was a
good picture to carry around with me, an’ I wanted to remember it well.
Except every time I recall that memory of Jubes sleepin’, she’s always in my
arms.
xxxX ~ X ~ Xxxx
I woke up feelin’ like a million bucks. No doubt about it. And I knew why,
too. Wolvie was home again. And not just home, but with me. He stayed with
me all night, until we both fell asleep. After he was snoring I just
snuggled right up next to him. I knew he wouldn’t be able to argue if he was
snorin’. Just for that I’d even let him get by with fallin’ asleep on me
while I was talkin’ to him. I missed him so much when he was gone. And the
holiday season just made it worse to be without him. Him being around just
seemed to make everything better.
I never woke up before noon on my own. Never, it’d be like sacrilegious or
something. But that day I did. I even woke up before Wolvie. He was still
snorin’ , but with him holdin’ me I wasn’t about to move. So I closed my
eyes on the sunlight streamin’ through the window and went back to sleep
with a smile on my face.
When I woke up the second time, I didn’t hear snoring, so I knew I had to
play it cool. I just kept my eyes closed and pretended to be asleep. Wolvie
was awake. And since he shuddered when he found me I knew something was up.
But I didn’t know how he was gonna react. He didn’t do anything for a while.
Maybe he was thinking, or what, I don’t know, but he was real quiet. I
couldn’t decide if that was good or bad. Then he picked me up and carried me
back to my room. All I could think was ‘he’s kicking me out.’ But then he
kissed me! Just my forehead, but he kissed me! I almost lost it right there.
He was so close I wanted to just wake up and kiss him back. I didn’t need to
open my eyes to know he was close enough. I could like feel him. But then he
just left. But I knew his little secret. He kissed me thinkin’ I’d never
know. But I did. And I’ll never forget it, no matter what.
I didn’t take too long to get up and get breakfast, before the Popsicle got
to all my sugarbombs. Wolvie was waitin’ at the table, getting greeted by
everyone. I picked a kinda quiet moment after most of the rest of the team
had left the table or were out of earshot. “I musta slept for a long time
cuz I haven’t felt this good since before I moved to Massachusetts. I musta
been real tired too, cuz I don’t even remember goin’ to bed.”
“Ya didn’t darlin’.”
“But I woke up in bed. I must’ve gone.”
“Nope. Ya fell asleep in my room and I carried you back to your—to bed.”
But he never mentioned that he did that this morning, not last night. “Well
I slept great.”
“You were pretty tuckered, kiddo. Guess between that an’ bein’ back in yer
own bed is just what you been needin’, darlin’.”
“Guess so.” For now. But I know his secret…our secret, whether he wants me
to or not. Secrets can’t stay secrets forever. And someday he’ll wake up and
realize just what he’s missin’…our little secret.
