#omunroe

The morning and early afternoon had been spent preparing the inn for the grand nuptials. News of the marrying X-Men hadn’t reached the media, so it seemed that, despite the large guest number, several of whom would be of famous faces that would be in attendance, the celebration would remain relatively private. Hired hands teamed with the Inn’s staff to ready the ceremony and reception locations complete with dance floor per both the bride and groom’s insistence. A variety of fresh flowers were delivered including bouquets and boutonnieres for the bridal party, and the cake arrived shortly thereafter. Lights and speakers went up high above the transforming rustic spectacle. Cloth and cutlery were neatly placed over the round and square reception tables, and a simple table was designated for a guest book, cards and gifts.

The two halves of the bridal party were each given a room at the Inn to ready themselves in while a pair of hired photographers snapped photos of the process. As it got closer to five o’clock, the matron of honor and best man performed their traditional duties of exchanging the bride and groom’s gifts, giving Logan an opportunity to switch out his original cufflinks for the gold, horse links his future wife chose and purchased for him. Knowing her simple yet particular taste in jewelry, he had gifted her with a solid gold choker necklace. By the time the bridal party finished getting themselves ready, the outdoor rustic wedding vibe and aesthetic had come together and guests were beginning to trickle through.

Among the hundred-plus guests, several heroes and heroic affiliates were already known well enough by both of their names for them not to feel the need to come in their uniform. The newly deemed Ms. Marvel, or Carol Danvers wore an identical bridesmaid dress to Jean and Tessa with her hair gathered up in a lace braid bun. Long since waking from his decades-long coma, Captain America, or Steve Rogers had been returned his formal dress from the army and decided to wear it for the occasion. Tony, who had been open about his status within months of first donning the Iron Man suit, dressed to the nines in designer labels from his sunglasses to his wingtips, with discrete Stark tech integrated on his person. The rarely seen SHIELD director, Nick Fury, honored his promise to attend but hadn’t particularly stood out from his usual black monochrome attire. And retired hero Hank Pym sported a simple grey three-piece suit. Those who were not as well known by both identities or lines of work, however, continued to protect their privacy by either blending in with other suit and gown-donning guests like covert SHIELD agents Phil Coulson and Maria Hill, or their heroic uniform like Spiderman. The exceptions to all of this had been the aquatic prince, Namor, who was surprisingly more clothed than usual, in regal black and gold Atlantic attire and the god-like extraterrestrial, Thor, who was both known and had also chosen to don traditional garb from his home as well.

As the final few guests took their seat, instrumental music came softly through the speakers around the the venue. Ororo’s old mentor during her extended stay in Kenya, Priestess Ainet, walked up the wide aisle runner and removed the guard that kept others from stepping on it prior to now. Her presence cued the official start of the ceremony as one of the school’s alumni and Paige’s older brother, Sam, operated the sound and music for the evening. His job had been made simple by Tessa who had programed the slew of instrumental music, including the guitar and piano melody to Christina Perri’s song, “Penguin”.

Guests brought their murmurs to a collective silence as Logan took his position at the altar and patiently waited beside Ainet. Just behind and to the priestess’s right, Joanna and Jubilee were wielding microphones and began to sing along to the song. Gazes amongst the seated were split between the talented teens and the gradual approaching bridal party. Carol and Scott were the first to walk out from the inn, up the runner and part ways at the altar. Tessa and Warren followed, and the matron of honor, Jean, and the best man, Kevin, brought up the rear on the bridal party’s introductions. As they all took their respective places, Logan periodically switched back and forth, cuffing one hand over the other until he saw his bride emerge from the Inn. His eyes drank up her stunning appearance, making his mind go drunk in pure ecstasy. He always thought she looked beautiful and that she was the goddess and queen she was rightfully praised for being, but this day--this very special day and the very unique preparations that went into all he was seeing now took his breath away.

Ororo walked carefully, taking her time as her elderly paternal grandparents stood at each side, escorting her to her beloved groom. Her eyes were aware of everyone rising to their feet when the trio reached the runner and started down the aisle, but she kept her gaze fixed on her soon-to-be-husband right through the entirety of the walk. Her grandparents took a seat in the front crescent-shaped row beside Professor Xavier and held each other’s hands as they watched Ainet bless their granddaughter and their new grandson-in-law. When it came time for the rings, Jean dutifully accepted Ororo’s bouquet as she and Kevin handed the platinum tokens over. The couple exchanged their vows, each of them keeping their voices low but clear when they spoke their promises to one another. Cameras were going off from both the hired professionals as well as the numerous cell phone cameras, right up through the presentation of the newlyweds and Ainet permitting the two to kiss.

Logan gave an assertive tug at Ororo’s waist, grinning right up until their lips met. His body couldn’t burn the natural high out of him now. At the same time that Logan bent his head to kiss her, Ororo encircled her arms around his neck and threw her chin up to start the kiss, catching him by surprise. Applause, cheers and whoops erupted from literally all around them as Logan pressed himself flush to his wife and Ororo’s back bowed from being driven into a dip. When they pulled apart, both of the newlyweds were grinning from ear to ear. Ororo retrieved her bouquet from her teary-eyed best friend while Logan received some congratulatory pats on the back from Kevin before the two started up the aisle. They, along with the bridal party had been occupied by the photographers for some time after, but both seemed anxious to get to the reception.

The sun continued to slowly set over the beautiful, green, Bedford Post Inn lawn casting a warm orange hue above the bulbs illuminating in the reception space’s surrounding trees. Jean made haste to bustle the bride’s train after the formal photos were finished while guests mingled. Some of the heroes had been nervously approached for photos and autographs while others basked in the pleasantry of a hassle-free yet positively eventful evening. Guests gathered about at the tables again long enough for toasts and speeches from the bridal party, one of which included a not-so-allusive hinting at Logan’s drunkenness the previous night thanks to Kevin. Warren, Tessa and Jean tied for the most heartfelt speeches while Scott and Carol held touching moments of their own as well as words of endearment for the newly wedded couple. Following the sentiments, the caterers were prompt in providing hot, delicious Mediterranean cuisine--the bride’s favorite--complete with falafels and pita breads to accompany a variety of grilled meats and vegetables.

The night went on as a full celebration as a number of people gradually moved from dining at the tables to filling the dance floor. Logan and Ororo started things off sweetly with sways and minimal twirls to Stevie Wonder’s “Ribbon in the Sky” as their first dance. From there, the music through the night ranged from sweet, intimate ballads to upbeat numbers you couldn’t help but move to, solo or with others. During a Sammy Davis Jr. number, Tessa and Captain Rogers surprised everyone, partnering up on the spot to show off some East Coast Swing steps. The bride and groom were passed around amongst their friends, family and a few courageous students and alumni during a money dance. The only break in all of the dancing had been for the cutting of the three-tiered cake, donning their newly shared monogram on its top tier, but soon, almost everyone had been back to dancing. A hole on the floor was made as Ororo tossed a bouquet into the singles crowd; Tony, Spiderman, Thor and Kevin spearheaded wolf whistles and catcalls when Logan knelt down, smirked up at his wife and half of his body disappeared under the flare of Ororo’s gown to retrieve her garter. When he fully reappeared again, the piece of lace and silk was between his teeth and cheers erupted from numerous friends. His best man caught it and sported the garment as a headband for the remainder of the night.

With a little less than a month before the start of classes, Joanna’s thoughts were firmly focused on her first semester of college. Although she’d still be living at the Institute, she was excited about the prospect of something new and challenging. Finalizing her schedule, buying books and even spoiling herself with a new wardrobe for the few times she’d be required to show up on campus had been instrumental in keeping her distracted. The mentions of him had died down enough for her to finally be able to breathe and the sympathetic glances had dwindled to the point where people were treating her like Jo and not the girl whose heart had been broken. Joanna was finally stepping out of her pity cocoon, determined to move on with her life even if she didn’t exactly know how. For that reason, she found herself wandering the hall of the professors’ wing, searching until she found the familiar mahogany door she’d knocked on so many times before. With a steadying breath, she knocked on the open door before stepping inside. Her mentor’s head was slightly bowed over the desk and by the time it was lifted, Joanna was already sitting down in the armchair on the opposite side. Unsure of what to say after days of avoidance, she offered a simple, “Hey,” hoping it would suffice.

The unusual fatigue had Ororo taking naps throughout the day and while the bright side to it meant being well rested for the wedding, today, she was thankful that she hadn’t slept for more than an hour in the middle of the day. After making her way down from Pembroke to hers and Jean’s office, she started up her computer and began some early work on some lesson plans for her language classes. Everything that she could do prior to the wedding had been done and the back-to-school buzz was beginning to blend in with students expressing excitement for hers and Logan’s approaching nuptials. Now seated at her desk with her lesson planner before her and short stacks of French and Spanish books on either side, she wrote away, occasionally standing and stretching to try and keep from becoming drowsy all over again. The knock on the door was welcomed as she sat back down and once her pen was in her hand again, she responded with a polite but vocal, “Come in!” Her hand reached out to open the Spanish book to refresh her memory on vocabulary covered in the early chapters, but she slowed her gesture upon seeing Joanna come through the now open door. Ororo was well aware by now of the impromptu leave of the teen’s ex-boyfriend and had respectfully kept her distance, choosing not to suffocate Joanna. She had made a mental note to check on her in person before the wedding, but was relieved that the young woman had come to her. The apparent sadness coming through her brave face made the professor cast a small frown. Although it was something she doubted Joanna wanted to hear, she still asked, “How are you doing?”

Joanna knew the question was coming, yet, she was still unprepared to answer it. How was she? Functioning was the first word that came to mind, even if it sounded a lot more dour than she actually felt. After the initial breakdown, she leaned on her friends to get through the worst of it. Jubilee insisted on constantly keeping her busy with the latest Pinterest craze. Cole took her on long drives full of junk food and lip synching so bad it’d make Britney Spears cringe. Marie’s solution included several reenactments of Broadway plays, but Joanna drew the line at Hair. Others dragged her to various off-campus sites to get her mind off He Who Shall Not Be Named. She even led a school supplies drive, filled up backpacks with the donations and passed them out to needy kids. All of these distractions served their temporary purpose, but at night, while she was alone in her room her mind would wander. Cruelly, memories of their time together would play over and over again and she tried to find signs she hadn’t noticed at the time. There was still no acceptable explanation and that was the hardest part to get over. If she had a reason, maybe she could move on. Maybe it would hurt less. Maybe she could be herself again. Her eyes refocused, the pattern on her skirt turned from a blob of bright colors to a more familiar pattern. Head lifted, her gaze locked with the professor’s, lips parting as she began to speak. “I’m a long way from where I was, but I’m finding my way back to being okay.”

Patiently and sympathetically waiting, Ororo pushed back from her desk and got up to come around and take a seat in the chair beside Joanna. Had this been a more formal meeting she would have probably stayed where she’d been but she felt no reason to set that sort of presence here. She wasn’t entirely sure what the response to her question would be but what she heard made her offer a hand out to Joanna. “That’s better than, well, a number of answers you could have given.” Reaching up to tuck a few stray white strands behind her ear, Ororo went on to tell her, “I had seen you out and about a little bit this past week. It was worrisome not seeing much of you before then, but your friends truly care and it was comforting from a distance to see you around with them. Hopefully that has helped?” Her head cocked to one side slightly with her gentle curiosity. For a moment, she said nothing and lowered her pale blue eyes until midway through speaking up again. “You know, I know that it might sound meaningless for me to say that I understand what you’re going through right now, but I still want to tell you that I do. All of the feelings that accompany the hurt are a lot to deal with when it’s still a raw wound. But I promise you that time is a great healer, albeit a frustrating one at times.”

Joanna looked on as Ororo took the seat next to her, eventually reaching out to take her offered hand. A soft smile broke through the sadness. “It was more bleak a week ago, I’m not gonna lie. I’m all cried out. I had to mourn for a little bit because it was so sudden. And the way it happened with me being out of town when Bo-” Lips clamped shut, accompanied by a heavy sigh. “I can’t even say his name. It makes me physically sick. That means I’m still angry, right?” She looked for a confirmation, although she already knew the answer. The mention of her friends made her chuckle with a grin, happiness battling the sadness pricking her eyes. “You know how stubborn they are. They refuse to let me be sadder for longer than necessary. I don’t know what I would have done without their persistent behinds!” Curiosity was piqued by the professor’s admission. Who in their right mind would break Storm’s heart? The bastard in question must have a death wish. Involuntarily, her free hand flexed and her already simmering rage grew tenfold. Just as quickly, she realized she probably looked ridiculous getting upset when the wounds had obviously healed some time ago. “It’s not meaningless at all. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to pick myself up off the floor. I was literally on the floor sobbing. I worked myself up so much that I couldn’t even breathe. And I thought, this is it. This is how I’m going to die. It sounds so dramatic, but I never knew I could hurt as much as that. With my dad, it was different, because I never expected better from him. I always wished and hoped, but I knew I’d never get it. With...you know, I thought more of him because he always treated me well. He was always honest- but I guess he wasn’t because there’s some secret that made him leave. He had carved a place inside the dreams I built for myself and I’m angry. Hurt. Sad. All of the above.” Regret soon followed the parade of emotions and she palmed her forehead to quell the impending headache. “All of this I’m feeling- I know I’ll eventually get over it. It’s so new right now that it feels like everything, but in a few years, it’ll feel like nothing. If only I could fast forward!” Another giggle fell from from her lips and she felt herself calm down. “You and Logan have shown me that you can make it through some trying times and not only live to see another day, but you can also find love, too. You guys are getting married and I’m so happy for you. The fact that I can appreciate it shows that maybe I’m not so broken after all.”

Ororo listened to a very self-aware Joanna and nodded, “It can mean that, yes. As though merely speaking his name alone is adding insult to injury.” There was a moment where she offered a sad smile, while Joanna responded about her friends but she saw the intrigue on the younger woman’s face and heard how she had been processing everything; Ororo’s lips evened out a little from the slight bends at the corners. There was a feeling of nausea in her stomach, sympathizing deeply with the situation Joanna was in and how much she hadn’t deserved such an end to her relationship. “It was some time ago for me. I had begun healing from it before I had met or even considered dating Logan. But I do understand the heartbreak, especially when you do not see it coming.” Wanting to be careful not to impose what experience she’d had as Joanna’s feelings as though there was a set manual for relationships, she listened some more and while admiring the spurts of brighter spirits from the teen, told her, “It’s nice to know that you see us as a beacon of hope for better days, but it’s better hearing you recognize for yourself that, as difficult as this may be to endure for the time being, that you will not stay heartbroken because of his actions and how they’re affecting you now.” After giving Joanna’s hand a gentle squeeze, she added, “And I want you to know how much Logan and I appreciate you still singing with Jubilee for us. It speaks on your perseverance and maturity, both of which I still admire.” As she said this, a thought crossed her mind that prompted her to kindly free her hand from Joanna and stand up again. The sick feeling in her gut was subsiding while she crossed the room and knelt behind her desk. Underneath it where her feet usually rested, stood five sizable turquoise gift bags--one for each of her bridesmaids, plus Joanna and Jubilee. She checked the small tags on them to make sure she had the right one and pulled it out from underneath the desk. White tissue paper peeked out of the top in between each of the bag handles and as she made her way back to Joanna, she explained, “I was planning to give this to you before the wedding on Friday, but...I’d like you to have it now.” Inside of the bag was a small, white jewelry-keepsake box. Its lid had intricate, lace-like designs carved across and at the center of the top sat an oblong, silver plaque of sorts; engraved on it were the words: Treasures of the treasured. Having relinquished the gift bag, she kindly waited, saying nothing else for the time being.

As Ororo spoke, Joanna listened to the wisdom imparted by her mentor, even finding the strength to smile in spite of the sadness hovering below the surface of her pulled together exterior. “There’s a lesson in this somewhere. I haven’t found out what it is yet but maybe a little time from it will help me figure it out.” The smile grew into a full-fledged grin once talk moved to the wedding. “Are you kidding? I’ve been waiting for this wedding forever and I don’t care if I had to crawl to be there, I was still showing up for my OTP! To tell you the truth, preparing has really helped. It kept me occupied and focused because I want to do my very best.” A jolt of nervous energy flowed through her as she thought about singing at such a pivotal moment in the ceremony. From her recent travails with her soon-to-be sister-in-law, Joanna didn’t want to add any additional stress to the situation so she decided not to mention it. “I can’t believe it’s almost here. You’re going to be such a beautiful bride. Full disclosure- I will be taking a lot of pictures. Probably more than the photographer. Try not to be annoyed!” When the professor stood, Jo thought that she had probably gone too far in her fangirling and was prepared to offer a sincere apology until she saw the small gift bag in Ororo’s hand. After the initial shock of the presentation wore off, her hands finally moved to retrieve the present inside. With the keepsake box firmly in her grasp, she glanced at Ororo with wide eyes, unsure of what to say. After reading the inscription for what had to be the hundredth time, she finally found her voice. "This is really... beautiful. Th-thanks," was all she was able to muster before being overcome by her emotions.

Ororo agreed and assured her, “It will come.” The smile that appeared on her face stilled with the rest of her, save her raised brows. Oddly enough, Logan was better at staying in the loop with slang and abbreviations than she was; she’d heard the term ‘OTP’ used around school but couldn’t remember what the letters stood for. Joanna’s excitement was more than enough for her to deduce that it wasn’t a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination, but her surprised and confused expression softened upon learning that the teen had been utilizing her role in the wedding to help her at this time. She tossed her head back slightly and let out some small laughs about the photography, “It’s all right, and thank you by the way. If you’re an admirer of certain people, I am sure I won’t be the only reason for your wanting to take photos on Friday.” Purposely being rather cryptic, she thought about the number of guests who had responded to the invitation and briefly wondered how many of them would show up in uniform making themselves more recognizable, versus those who might opt for slight discretion in conventional formalwear. The thought was fleeting, however, as she watched Joanna pull the keepsake box from the bag and look it over. Her smile reappeared with her anticipation and when she heard Joanna’s response, Ororo placed a hand high on Joanna’s arm near shoulder and gently countered, “Thank you, Joanna. From Logan and myself, not only for lending your voice on our wedding day, but for all you brought to the relationships you formed with us during the past school year. You are a wonderful young woman, and an an impressive athlete which is...well...the G-rated way that Logan put it when we first spoke about you.” Her teeth shone with the admission but she kept her azure hues on Joanna. “I really am proud of how much you have grown in just the past year alone. It brings me true joy and I am looking forward to what the future holds for you and your journey.”

Joanna snickered at Ororo’s confusion, remembering that not everyone was familiar with online terminology. She was also grateful that the professor didn't mind if she and Jubilee got a little snap happy at the wedding. Jo still carried a few regrets from graduation and a good bit of them centered on the fact that she only took one photo with Steve Rogers. She hoped to rectify that misstep in a day's time and if she was really fortunate, maybe she’d end the night with a dance. Before her thoughts had a chance to venture into inappropriate territory, she stared at the tiny sterling silver box, letting it’s coolness settle against both palms. The physical weight of it paled in comparison to its emotional one. Over and over Jo re-read the inscription. Treasures of the treasured. Briefly, she recalled the significant events from the past year and how each pivotal moment brought new challenges she somehow found a way to deal with. She went from being a runaway to one of the most popular girls at school. From being sickly with a life-threatening illness to a star athlete and the picture of health. From a shy girl to an outspoken advocate for mutant rights and standout performer in Grease. Someone who had felt invisible her entire life ended up becoming Prom Queen. A year ago, all hope was lost, but now everything had turned around. She had wonderful friends who had become a real family. She had experienced her first real romance, something she was sure wasn’t in the cards for her. Even though it didn’t work out how she wanted, she realized that she was capable of giving and receiving love. Whether she was Joanna or Amber, people loved and cared about her and it was all that she ever wanted. Smiling through her tears, she chuckled while imagining Logan’s R-rated praises. “I’m proud of me, too. Coming here...being around you guys...it’s been… it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. It changed my life for the better and you have no idea how grateful I am to you and Sideburns.” Her laughter picked up at the nickname that fit her coach to a tee. “Your support has meant everything. You believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. Through your guidance, you’ve shown me that I can make it through anything.” Present troubles came back to the forefront and she breathed through the difficult thoughts. “It’s what I keep telling myself. It will pass. I will move on and be better for it in the end. You both taught me that.” Sniffing back the rest of her tears, she grinned while pulling the older woman into a tight hug. “I promise only happy tears from here on out. Honest.”

Ororo thawed her expression to a more genuine smile when some mild laughter broke through from Joanna. But seeing the tears form in the young woman’s face compelled her to get up and grab some tissues from her desk; she’d had a fresh box sitting next to her computer. She wasn’t able to rise from the chair however, when Joanna gathered her in her arms for a hug that, although surprised, she happily returned. Her arms tightened around Joanna for a moment and while Ororo’s chin was over her shoulder, she murmured, “I will be hoping for more tears of celebration from you, but it’s okay if you’re still hurting and need a good cry for that too.” She stayed close, doing her best to cherish the moment while wishing the hug would be enough and that her words would be enough. Time truly would serve Joanna better than her words, she was sure of it, but healing and a restoration of an abundance of joy was something she earnestly wanted for the young woman who had, in some ways, become something of a daughter to her, or so she felt. When she felt Joanna loosen her arms, Ororo kindly pulled away and smiled, promising, “And you will certainly come out better and stronger in the end. I’ll be here for you in any way that I can. You know where to find me.” Her hands took both of Joanna’s to give them a gentle squeeze, “And if I’m not around here at the school or you can’t reach me on my phone, Logan and I hope you will find some comfort in the words carved on the box.”

Joanna remained in the embrace for a long moment, unwilling to leave the cocoon of support found in Ororo’s arms. Words of encouragement had served to calm her up to that point, but it was something about physical contact that fed her soul. It was such a simple gesture and conveyed all the things that were sometimes difficult to put into words. Before the words were spoken, Joanna already knew that she could and would go to the professor for more than just advice or a shoulder to lean on. In her time at The Institute, she considered many to be her friends, but only a select few were a part of her inner circle and Ororo was chief among them. Few had allowed her to be the multi-faceted person she truly was and Jo was forever grateful for being granted the opportunity to do so. Aware that she’d probably never let go if she didn’t pull away (and also wary of Logan’s wrath), she loosened her grasp slightly, eventually able to put space between them. A warm flush spread across her cheeks at the professor’s kind words. “You’re like in My Top Five, a long press away,” she joked as she stood, placing the box back inside the gift bag. “Thanks again...for everything. See ya at 15:00 hours.” Joanna practically glided to the door, pausing while looking over her shoulder. “Don’t have too much fun, tonight. Wouldn’t want a Professors Gone Wild expose on the interwebs!”

Logan wasn't entirely sure what time they had returned to campus. Jimmy and Kurt politely declined invitations to the night out, opting to stay and help the professor look after the school but the mansion seemed asleep when the others got in. By all accounts and appearances, Warren was the only one of the groom's half of the bridal party to still be standing and speaking sensibly, opting for just one beer that night. Scott was surprisingly lucid but amused by just about everything; Kevin struggled the most with standing up straight and was relying heavily on his angel-winged comrade despite his contradicting claims that he was fiiiiiinnne. Logan managed his steps on his own albeit staggering on numerous occasions. A smirk seemed permanently plastered on his face regardless of what he was saying and for him, he had been uncharacteristically talkative. He, along with the other three men made progress up the main staircase toward Pembroke, shushing and bumping and snickering along the way. By the time they reached the mansion's fourth floor, Scott had come to a crawl and was suppressing a fit of giggles at himself, loudly whispering about how Storm was going to kill them. Kevin was the one to quickly refute it with promises that they would all be fiiiiiinnne in the morning. Warren had shot a look to the ceiling as though praying the confident best man would actually make it down the aisle but it was Logan, now leaning against the wall near his and Ororo's bedroom door, who slurred, "I'll be fine...Sssober at least. Dunno 'bout you though." Kevin looked indignant as Warren continued towing him along, "Me? Youuuu drank lika whale!" to which Warren wasted time reminding him, "Because he can, Kevin. Most people would be dead before they could consume that much alcohol. He'll probably be sober before his head hits the pillow tonight." Shaking his head, he then kindly told Logan, "I'll come back for Scott. But you should really try and rest, Logan. Big day tomorrow." The eldest of the bunch dropped his head and looked down where Scott had passed out, and then muttered a, "G'Night," to Warren before facing his bedroom door. He managed to get his keys out but had taken several tries before fitting it into the doorknob. Once he had it open, he resumed his unsteady walk inside and thought he was closing the door quietly when he had, in fact, slammed it shut. Smacking his own forehead for the guilty maneuver, Logan whispered, "'Ro!....'Ro, you awake..?" not having lifted his head since eyeing Scott in the hallway.

It had been an hour since Ororo had escorted her inebriated bridesmaids back to their respective rooms, but she was still sporting the same grin. Turned out that the normally awkward Tessa grew suddenly coordinated under the influence of tequila. The young professor had also discovered the joy of kickers and shooters, which provided a constant source of laughs throughout the evening. Not to be outdone by her junior cohort, Jean managed to polish off two bottles of Moscato all by herself despite Ororo’s insistence that her maid of honor slow down. Cecilia opted for a harder spirit, kicking back several Manhattans that ended up being paid for by a handsome stranger. Paige was the only one who was brave enough to try the artisanal beers on taps and it took her several tries before finding the right blend. As for the bride, she abstained although Tessa tried her best to convince her that tequila would solve any pre-wedding jitters and world peace. When Ororo first mentioned a quiet evening to her friends, they either thought she was crazy, lame or both. Despite their initial protests, they ended up having a blast at Fabiano’s Tuscan Grill. Having avoided the hustle of barhopping, the women were able to relax and discuss something other than work, which was sorely needed. To top it off, Ororo was still able to wear the bachelorette veil that Jean purchased for the occasion. In fact, she was still wearing it when she settled into bed, her Kindle in her lap as she waited for her fiance to return from his night out. Soon enough, she could make out loud whispers and grown man giggles. She simultaneously wanted to chide and laugh at the poor souls who couldn’t handle their liquor. Logan’s gruff voice stood out over the others causing her amused grin to widen. More shuffling and badly disguised whispers followed before the door opened and her love stumbled inside their room. “Yes and I guess that’s a good thing since you’re so loud!” Snickering, she glanced at his tall frame, waiting for him to walk into the light to confirm her suspicions. “Did you have fun?”

Logan lifted his head with a puzzled look on his face. “‘M not loud,” he argued only to question moments later, “Am I?” while moving a hand out in hopes it might land on something to help guide him toward the bed. Grasping nothing but the air in front of him, he continued his uncoordinated quest to his fianceé. With the alcohol somewhat rapidly circulating out of his system, he’d been wearing it like perfume for a good portion of the night, including now. He came to a sluggish halt near the edge of the bed--his long-lasting smirk stretching at the clearer sight of his soon-to-be wife before he unceremoniously belched and chuckled, “Sorry.” Reaching for the hem of his form-fitting shirt, he peeled it up over his head and tossed it carelessly to the floor before plopping on the edge of the bed. “Oh yeah,” he happily mumbled in response to her question, leaning close to her in hopes he might get a kiss. “Haven’t been this drunk sssince...hell...dunno when. I’ll tell ya, Ssummers coulda used a trip to a honky tonk bar ‘bout ten years ago.” He flashed her his pearly whites, proud of his half-joke and then said, “Ya know ya look like a real queen with that crown on, Legs. My own queen. Queen Legs.” After a moment, he snorted at the regal addition to his favorite nickname for her and ducked his head against her chest where he muttered, “What’d ya do tonight, queenie?”

Ororo’s snickers turned into full chuckles once his slurred words were uttered. “You are and can’t tell because you’re sloppy drunk. I’m impressed.” His sluggish movements encouraged a fit of laughter that only increased after his obnoxious belch. “I don’t even wanna know how many it took to get you to this point. I’m sure you set some kind of record.” As he nuzzled close to her, she placed her Kindle on the nightstand then leaned on her side so they were facing each other. “Are you saying that you and Scotty bonded or is that the liquor talking?” Her fingertips danced across his whiskered jaw line, pulling him a little closer to grant him a soft kiss. Settling back on the pillow, she maintained the caress listening to his sweet rambling. The mention of the crown made her reach up to touch the tiara. “A queen, huh? I did feel quite regal this evening. But I think it has more to do with what’s happening tomorrow than the actual crown.” The nickname was one she could get used to and she made a mental note to encourage its practice. “The ladies and I had dinner at Fabiano’s and they got a little tipsy- not as tipsy as you and yours, but comfortably so. Hopefully no headaches in the morning. As for your lot, looks like I’ll be coming up with the hangover cure. Kev probably won’t remember his name let alone the recipe.” Leaning down slightly, she kissed the top of his head before asking, “Ready for tomorrow?”

“Shoulda seen me back at the bar,” Logan told her. “Didn’t count but I betcha Warren coulda toldja.” Lying on his side, he fumbled with the belt buckle and zipper at his jeans but quickly gave up at the tedious work. At her question about bonding with the otherwise uptight Scott, Logan looked like he was giving it genuine thought but his answer had been, “Gimme an hour. Maybe less. I’ll be soberer...then I can tell ya.” His large head bobbed between her fingers after he kissed her back, “Mmm...I kinda like it. Suits ya plenty.” Softening his smile, he settled his half-lidded hazel hues on her, listening with an albeit delayed level of comprehension--delayed for his otherwise ultra sharp focus. “Gonna needa link ‘em up to a Bloody Mary catheter ‘er somethin’,” he joked. Her latest question made him quiet. He hadn’t been sad nor was he upset by the question but he had taken his time to answer. “T’tell ya the truth, I’m ready but I’d been nervous. Kinda why I’d drunk s’much tonight.” One of his large hands was idly roaming the length of her torso as he spoke on, “I love you, ‘Ro. Sounds corny to say this, but both times in the past...the other times I’d been married I didn’t think I’d be happier or get a better woman to spend my life with. But I was wrong. Real wrong. Ya proved me wrong. So...Don’t wanna make ya unhappy or nothin’. M’not gonna leave ya at the altar or nothin’ foolish like that. Just want ya to know the truth.”

Ororo laughed at the thought of Warren having a detailed spreadsheet of the group’s drink count. “No doubt that he probably could with the memory he has.” His continued compliments had her drunk on happiness and she secretly wished for the time to race along in order to be brought closer to their formal commitment. “It’s a good thing the tomatoes were harvested. We’ll be going through ‘em come morning. Luckily, I don’t have to worry about you. You’ll be over this in two hours, tops. But I have to admit I’m having a blast watching you suffer, my love.” When he looked up at her, she couldn’t help herself and tapped the tip of his nose. His cheeks still sported the healthy flush that accompanied inebriation and in that moment, she thought it impossible to be any happier than she was. The silence was welcome and she didn’t think much of it until Logan began fidgeting against her still frame. He finally spoke and Ororo found his words surprising. He seemed his typical self; excited when appropriate and grumpy when expected. She’d never forget his mini-tantrum over place settings. But now, as his nervous fingers danced down her abdomen, for the first time, she felt nervous. Then he explained what he meant and a calmness washed over her. They’d both been married before and neither situation worked out how they imagined it would. The best thing that came out of that failure was the second chance they were about to embark on. “While I find it hard to believe that you of all people were nervous, I’m glad that you told me how you were feeling. It explains...a lot.” The last bit was followed by a deep chuckle she didn’t try to hide. “I love you, too, Jamie. Even when you’re drunk and rambling. Though your rambles are adorable.” His stilled movements and steady breathing convinced her that he had finally drifted off to sleep and she whispered, “You are going to be the best father. The next year is going to be the greatest one yet. I know it.”

Logan smiled at her, glad she wasn't the least bit concerned about his state for their wedding. He had already been feeling far more cohesive than when he and his friends first conquered the mansion’s stairs and knew part of his mumbling had to do with the fatigue setting in. After confiding how he had been feeling regarding their nuptials, Logan let his eyes fall shut but his hypersensitive ears allowed him to remain attentive. He wasn't a particularly heavy sleeper; he was actually one of the lightest sleepers on the grounds but he felt himself nodding off when hearing his nickname from her. Of the few people who knew his actual first name was James, Ororo was the only one who could get away with calling him it or any variation of it without negative reception from him. His lips parted from his jaw slackening as he welcomed the sleep. But he was gently roused from the sound of Ororo's voice speaking softly to him again. It had taken him a few seconds before he reacted outwardly to what she said. First, he stilled, completely. And then, his brows twitched together while his eyes snapped open, unintentionally giving an upset expression. He wasn't upset, though. Confused? Mildly. Shocked and befuddled? Definitely. His fixed eyes took in the sleepy delight prancing across his love's face and while he wasn't one to generally need something repeated, Logan asked, "...You wanna run that by me again, 'Ro?" His mind was still feeling mild effects of all the whiskey he downed but her whispered words were like a dry sponge to all that remained in his system. "Are ya...you...I'm gonna..." His hand came up from her torso to his forehead as though he was checking himself for a fever. "Holy shit!" he whispered. Lowering his hand away, he had given her another question, "Are ya sure? I mean...we're gonna be parents?"

Finding herself starting to drift off, Ororo adjusted into a more comfortable position, content that someone other than Jean knew of her secret. The excitement she had been trying to quell throughout the long day finally bubbled to the surface and she was left with what was surely a silly expression. A slightly panicked voice brought her out of her reverie and she stared at Logan’s confused features. “You weren’t supposed to hear that!” Wincing slightly, she reluctantly nodded, wondering if the news was good news. “I am, you are....we are. I’m sure. As positive as the seven tests I took. I know it’s a lot, but I had to be sure before I told you and I meant to tell you after the wedding.” Her head fell back against the pillow as regret and second-guesses dominated her thoughts. “I thought you were asleep. I’m sorry. I got a little excited. It was unexpected. I thought it would happen in a couple of years when we had our own home. Not that I don’t want it to. I want it more than anything.” As if she had spoken them into existence, doubts began to cloud her judgment, the force of new fears prompting her to sit upright. “How do you feel about it? I didn’t mean to spring this on you. I wanted to surprise you. Do something special. Like maybe one of those YouTube things, although Tessa would have probably have had to show me how to do it and I’d have to deal with her explaining every single facet and by then I would want to give up on the whole idea!” Realizing her nerves were getting the better of her, she snapped her lips shut to end the barrage of word vomit. “Are you excited? Be honest. I promise I won’t take it personally.” Aware that she was venturing toward an emotional state beyond her control, she amended the statement. “I’ll try not to at least.”

Under other circumstances, Logan would have reminded her with a flat expression that he slept lightly and hadn't been out for more than a second. But his body was still purging the last of the alcohol from his system, and his mind was still digesting the news that his fianceé was pregnant and that they were going to be parents. That someday in the not so distant future, someone was going to be calling him "Dadda"; that he and Ororo were responsible for another life, different from their obligations as teachers and duties as X-Men. His gaze had grown distant until she asked him how he felt, and when he looked to her again, he saw the distress on her features. Listening to her get swept up in a ramble of her own brought a memory up for him--the night he had proposed to her and was struggling to get a word in. He cracked a soft smile and sat up on his side, curling a bare, burly arm around her middle while leaning in to give her a full, whiskey-flavored kiss on the lips. His intent was to help ease her while also aiding in his answers to her questions, so when he pulled away, he was conscious of settling his opening eyes directly on her blue pair. "I'm happy for us, Ororo. Real happy for us. Just surprised me is all and ya know that s'not a easy thing t'do. You 'n me already make a helluva team. Only way it could get better from there is us becomin' a helluva family." His eyes only left her face long enough to watch himself guide his wide hand over her slender one. "I don't want us to worry about a home. We've got one right here and I know what this place means to ya. When the time's right, we'll get ourselves a place close by. I'll build ya a place to have your own horses 'n gardens. Til then, only thing we needa think about is meetin' each other at the altar tomorrow." As his spoke his answer to her, he had been moving his thick, calloused thumb just above her smooth knuckles in a soothing manner. His mind was still wrapping itself around the fact that he was going to be a dad--or rather that he already was one--but he had meant everything he said to her. He would do whatever he had to, to make his wife and child feel safe, at home, happy and loved. As he stayed close to her, he gruffly mused, "I shoulda known somethin' was up." After leaning in and kissing her cheek just beside her nose, he informed her, "You've been smellin' differently. Didn't know why. But now I do."

It seemed as if years had passed between her question and his eventual answer, but when Logan drew Ororo into his arms, those doubts she’d been obsessing over nearly vanished. It was the kiss that rid them for good and she felt a little foolish for her initial reaction. His explanation brought her peace and she could only smile at his budding excitement. “I’m happy for us, too. A little nervous, I’m not going to lie. But this baby is the best surprise and I’m thrilled that you’re so excited.” Talk of their own home made her melt and if his arms weren’t anchoring, she was certain she would float away from the sheer joy of their dreams coming true. “One thing at a time, huh? I can’t wait to call you my husband.” The love she had for him began to overwhelm her, but she stayed close to him cherishing the moment. Up until now, the baby had been an abstract thought. Something she could put in the back of her mind. It would still be a few weeks before she started showing so it was easy to go about life as usual. But now that he knew, his excitement stirred her back to reality and the baby became more than just a thought. It was the living connection between two hearts. Everything was falling into place and although it wasn’t as perfect as she had hoped, it was happening. They would adjust like they always did and life would go on. “Are you saying I smell like Eau d’bebe? That’s actually a thing?” A bout of giggles hit her then and she couldn’t stop laughing. “So, that means you’ll be able to tell next time.” Realizing she was again thinking a little too far ahead, she grinned sheepishly, adding, “If we’re lucky, of course.”

Jubilee took her time walking alongside Joanna towards Professor Munroe’s office. For the most part, the two best friends were silent until Jubilee finally groaned and stopped in her tracks. “I can’t do it. I can’t. I don’t want to to die! I don’t want to go to that detention center! You know what’s worse? For the life of me, I can’t figure out why she’s calling us in. What do you think? Okay…” She took a few deep breaths and shook off her intensity. “We need to come up with a plan. What are we gonna say? Do we play it cool? Do we let her talk? Do we admit to defeat? Joey! Joey?” Jubilee opened up her purse and pulled out a Red Vine, wedging it between her teeth. “I eat when I’m nervous.”

Joanna knew that freaking out would only cause her best friend to lose it so she tried her best to remain even-keeled, but her plan went to hell as soon as they rounded the corner for the professor offices. Determined to remain somewhat sane, she grabbed Jubilee's shoulders to halt the terrified girl's steps. "Listen to me. We are not going to die. We are not going to the detention center. Think about it. What have we done to deserve that?" Nibbling on her lips, she studied her friend's face for a beat, pushing down her own doubts in favor of calming Jubilee down. "I have no idea either but maybe she wanted to congratulate us on the honors banquet. Since she didn't get a chance to at the time." The excuse sounded lame to her own ears, but she soldiered on, determined to keep her wits about her. "We're not gonna say anything. We're going to let her lead us to what I know is good news!" A glance at the professor's door made her confidence slip even further. "Yeah.It's gonna be fine! C'mon!" Draping an arm across the shorter girl's shoulders, she led them to what she hope wasn't their untimely demise.

Ororo sat behind her desk, staring thoughtfully at a notebook full of colored tabs. The particular page held a list that she had written but not solely comprised. She could feel a familiar set of eyes staring at the list as well from over her head. "I'm still not so sure, but I think that we can have it figured out before then," she spoke--blue eyes never leaving the page.

The comment from his fiancée made Logan lean down slightly, a hand gripping the back of her chair  while the other rested on her desk. He looked a little closer, saying nothing for some time, and then gave an impassive grunt, "Helluva list there, Legs. Didn't realize we'd had so many. But that works for me." As he stood upright again, he felt Ororo's hand come over his on the desk, followed by a lift in her gaze. He met her eyes, cracked the slightest of smiles and then bent forward again to kiss the corner of her lightly glossed lips. His ears picked up the girls' low voices causing him to lift his head slightly. "They're comin'," he informed her, resuming his former stance, complete with his folded arms and typically uninviting facial expression. Hazel hues were locked on the door but from his peripheral, he saw Ororo close their planner and straighten up in her desk chair. The professional tobe in her voice when she told the girls to come in hadn't gone unnoticed by Logan, and he'd almost given a look of amusement by it--almost.

Jubilee was thankful Joanna was beside her and when the duo finally reached the Professor's door, she took a deep breath. The tone of Professor Munroe was enough to convince her that they were in trouble. Perhaps it was all over something they had done a while ago and were now being reprimanded for. She pushed the door in, holding it open for her best friend and when she noticed it wasn't just the three of them, her nerves got the best of her once again. This was definitely serious. "Good afternoon...." She started and then looked over to Jo. "You wanted to see us?" She offered both professors a small smile and took a seat.

Joanna stepped inside the room, greeting Professor Munroe with a warm smile that abruptly faded once she set eyes on the permanently morose visage of her coach. Despite her best effort, she was now as freaked out as her best friend was mere seconds ago, her heartbeat thumping loudly in her ears. Her feet dragged on the carpet as Jubilee led them to the set of armchairs situated in front of the professor's desk. Briefly, she thought about making a run for it, but even if she could outrun Logan, she wouldn't make it too far. Defeated, she took a seat and faced the judge and jury. Avoiding their piercing gazes, she muttered, "Hello..." then quickly studied her nails as she waited for the hammer to drop.

Ororo watched the girls file into her office, catching Joanna's swift change in demeanor. The faded smile made Ororo feel a little guilty--guiltier than she was certain Logan was feeling--but knowing both girls were tenacious with a sense of humor of their own, she agreed to his idea of how to go about speaking with Joanna and Jubilee. After a single nod in response to their greetings, she gave each of them a long stare as though appraising how heavy-handed she was going to pretend to be. She took a deep breath and pursed her lips while noisily letting it go through her nostrils. "Joanna, Jubilation...I can't imagine either of you realize why you were called to my office today. But Logan and I have made particular observations of the two if you, which led to this meeting." She moved her slender hands from her lap onto the desk, folding them firmly together before going on, "We have something very, very important to ask you both.

The thick band of muscles inLogan's arms rolled to and fro slightly with the minor shifts in his folded arms. He'd been looking at Joanna and Jubilee, studying their features and movements as though he were back in the military again and in charge of weeding out a liar between them. Ororo's final words to the girls had been his cue to narrow his eyes into an unquestionable glower. "And for all our sakes, answer honestly. Ain't gonna help anybody if ya don't," he added in his usual gruffness. Inside, he was brimming with amusement but nothing about the way he looked or spoke gave his internal feelings away.

Jubilee simply shook her head slowly. She couldn't imagine why they were there. Any hopes she had of this being a positive meeting washed away the moment she saw Logan was also there and heard the serious tone in both her favorite professors. Her mind started to wander thinking as far back as she could. Maybe the found out it was her that went to get drunk at McFadden's once upon a time or the many times she sneaked out of her room to hang out without getting caught or when she ate the last bit of cookie dough ice cream and left the empty pint in the fridge. Okay, maybe the last one wasn't worthy of a meeting but still, it went on her list and the more she thought about it, the more she felt the pounding in her chest. They had something important to ask them both. They wanted an honest opinion. She was gonna crack. She looked up at both of her mentors  and swallowed whole before responding. " I....didn't mean to. I'm sorry. I swear I'll never do it again. I really need to get into college! A blemish like this would kill me. I..oh my God...I can never intern for Marc Jacobs." She wasn't sure what she was admitting to but at this point it was all of it. All of it.

Logan heard the words Jubilee rapidly blurted out and stilled--the borderline hostile expression on his face frozen for several seconds before he slowly tilted his head down. At almost the same time, Ororo had looked up at him with a mix of an accusatory look for him and equal confusion over what exactly Jubilee was confessing to. It was as though someone had dropped their hand on the needle of a spinning vinyl record. Sure, there were a couple of things they knew--with the abilities amongst the staff and the small handful of students who had no qualms ratting out their peers, doing things in secret wasn’t always the easiest thing for students within the school’s walls. His eyes going back to the girls preceded his head lifting up again. He said nothing yet, and neither had his fiancée until giving Joanna a chance to say something too, were she feeling as inclined as her friend.

Joanna was in no position to judge Jubilee for her string of confessions as she had contemplated sharing every lurid detail she’d committed since her arrival. At this point, she’d confess to killing Jimmy Hoffa if it would make Logan quit staring at her as if she were still a common criminal. “Uh umm…W-we” she stammered, as she looked from one stern face to the other, quickly remembering not to implicate her boyfriend. “I mean, I knew it was wrong and I know I was warned after the last time, but, you know, sometimes I get restless. And I’m a bit of a night owl. Year of the Rat, I guess.” Her slight laughter did little to diffuse the situation causing Jo to slink down in her seat, slightly defeated. “I know...I know I was wrong. Just please– please don’t take Prom away from me. Us. It’s my last one and it means a lot to me. If I have to serve a dozen detentions before graduation, I will if it means I can still go to prom.” The thought of losing the prized privilege had her on the verge of tears, but she vowed to temper her emotions until a verdict was reached.

Ororo looked back to the girls sooner than her husband-to-be had, and listened to Joanna. She had no idea what either of them was talking about. It would have been funny--like Logan intended--except that they both seemed legitimately concerned that she and Logan were intent on wringing them dry of every wrongdoing they’d taken part in. She couldn’t in good conscience carry on the charade further, so she raised a hand, simultaneously shaking her head, “Girls, please.” Her hand rested back on the desk as she forced her blended confusion and apprehension to subside from her features, “Logan and I have no idea what either of you are talking about.” She reached back for his hand and when she felt the dry, callous warmth of his palm, she gave it a firm squeeze to let him know that the joke was over. “This was mostly a facade--a joke on our part but clearly, our sense of humor is a little twisted.” She cracked a small but apologetic smile, “The real reason Logan and I wanted to speak with you both together was to ask if the two of you would do us the honor of singing at our wedding.” Blue eyes darted back and forth between the girls, somewhat anxiously after posing the question. “We haven’t settled on a particular song yet but...it would be the one that the bridal party and I walk out to.” She glanced up at Logan and then resumed exchanging glances with the girls, “Would the two of you, or either of you be around later this summer to do that for us?”

Logan couldn’t say that he didn’t find a little bit of amusement in the girls abrupt confessions--that is, after getting over the surprise in their need to admit to anything--he’d given a lone, throaty chuckle to let them know as much and folded his arms until he saw Ororo reaching for his hand. One hand slipped away and he threaded his large fingers between hers while she told them what their purpose for all of this had been. After she posed the question, Logan spoke up, “We got a few songs in mind but we’ll let ya know long before then so you can practice it in whatever key you’re comfortable singin’ in.”

Jubilee felt an immediate relief but also some embarrassment after giving her own self up. When she realized it was all a joke, the color returned to her face and she let out a content sigh. She looked over to Joanna with a growing smile and then over to her two professors. “Oh my goodness…” Jubilee could barely contain her excitement. “It would be an honor and a privilege! Thank you so so so much for asking us!” She practically squealed. “I’m not going anywhere this summer just some college seminars and work so I’ll definitely be around and Jo and I can practice together. We already do for fun so we won’t have any problem doing that!” She looked over to Jo. “Joey? Are you going to be around this summer?”

Although Joanna was utterly relieved that it had all been an elaborate scheme, she still felt some kinda way about being played. Briefly, her eyes narrowed as she glared at both of her mentors then, figuring it wise, she abruptly laughed off the little joke, thankful that she wouldn’t be punished for her vague confession. Prom was still on! “I don’t know what to say! Of course, of course we’ll do it!” All the gloom from the past few minutes had begun to fade and as the good news sunk in, Jo felt the need to celebrate their good fortune of not only getting to see their favorite couple get hitched, but also, becoming a part of the festivities. Songs were already dancing through her head, causing a wide grin to illuminate her features. “Thanks for honoring us with the privilege of being a part of your big day!” Nodding along to everything Jubilee said, she added, “Yes, definitely! Between getting ready for college and working, my summer’s pretty much open. I’m so excited!” Unable to help herself, she covered her smile with her right hand, releasing her pent up excitement into her palm. Glancing from one pleased face to the other, she asked the happy couple, “When’s the big day?”

Their reactions and spoken responses made Logan smile--in his own way--for the first time since the four had met up. He felt Ororo squeeze his hand and instead of squeezing it back, he shifted so that his frame was slightly behind her desk and lifted his free hand to rest on her shoulder. "That's good. Real good that hear from the both of ya." Hazel hues went from Jubilee to Joanna and he gave a comprehensive nod when they assured him and his fiancée that they would be around. Joanna's question made his thick brows pull together slightly; he dipped his gaze to the top of Ororo's snowy locks while he muttered, "Not sure yet. We got the first two Saturdays in August saved for where we wanna have it. Just gotta pick one of 'em. Soon." His final word earned him a loss of grip from his wife-to-be, only for her to quickly thump the side of his hand. He knew she wouldn't miss the pointedness of that and he merely smirked at her response.

After making sure Logan saw her pursed lips, Ororo added, "We will let you know as soon as we decide. We do have colors picked out and would like the two of you to coordinate your outfits with the bridal party. Logan and I would be happy to cover the cost and insist on it, as our thanks for the two of you singing for our wedding."

Jubilee

watched the two lovebirds admiring them as she did. She had to be careful not to squeal when Logan mentioned August. It seemed so close and for the couple, it probably seemed even closer. Professor Munroe’s talk about colors and outfits had her smiling even more wider if that was at all possible. “What colors have you picked? This is all so exciting! Anything you guys need, we’re so down to help!” Her expression softened and she looked over to Joanna. “Anything. Being a part of your wedding means so much to me. So thank you, again.” Her mind was racing as she thought about the possible color coordinations and the outfits they would both look great in. The could go for gowns or cocktail dresses, sweetheart cuts, empire waists, beads, lace...the thought made her smile to herself. “You’ve made my day.”

Joanna thought her face was about to split in two from how hard she was grinning but despite the slight ache spreading across her cheeks, she couldn’t fight the unbridled joy she felt at seeing the professors temporarily lose themselves in each other. It was nice to see them shed their usually stoic personas for a little while. August was right around the corner and from the way Logan looked at Ororo and vice versa, the couple seemed eager to make their union official. Lost in feels, Jo couldn’t help but think about the impending nuptials. The decorations, the catering, the guest list, the DJ– all of the many decisions was beginning to make her head spin, reminding her of her duties for Mark’s wedding. Thankful for a smaller role in this wedding, Joanna breathed through her nerves to echo Jubilee’s sentiment. “Absolutely! You can count on us! Don’t hesitate to ask us for anything. Honest!” The dress offer touched her immensely and her cheeks reddened at the kindness bestowed upon her and her best friend. “Thank you very much for the gowns. I don’t know what to say other than this will be the most amazing wedding, like, ever! I’m so incredibly excited for you guys!”

Paul had decided to not go to the musical, instead remaining in the library. As the crowd had died down he took up more and more space, laying down on one of the tables as he read through one of his newer books. It was some fantasy novel that had very little to it, but it was easy to get lost in, so he enjoyed it. He’d sent off a text to Jubilee, thinking the least he could do was congratulate her even if he didn’t go see it.

Jubilation struggled with the zipper of her leather outfit and felt relieved once she was able to breathe. She looked over to Marie with a large smile as she picked up her hair into a bun. “Tell me that wasn’t an amazing show?!” Jubilee bit her lip as she thought about the standing ovation. She heard her phone buzz and smiled as she read her friend Paul’s text message. “Hey Marie? Mind if we stop by the library for a bit? Paul’s there and he wants to give us a congratulatory hug!” She beamed and slipped into her sneakers. “Ready?”

Marie nodded happily, fixing her blouse. “All our work has paid off. I must say, you are by far the best Asian American Sandy that I have ever seen.” Marie tucked the strands of her white hair behind her ear and shrugged at the suggestion to go to the library. She didn’t mind making the pit stop. “Sure! It doesn’t matter to me, I’m still a bit caught up in all the excitement! Let’s go.”

Tessa had loved the show, seeing as it had been one of her favorites of all time. But, sadly, she had homework to do and was in desperate need to go sit somewhere with books available to help her. The library seemed rather quiet--which was to be expected seeing as a musical had just gotten out--so she was pleased to find that she could sit where she wanted. There was a boy there though. Paul, probably. Sean had mentioned him once or twice. So, she approached with her feet blissfully bare, and spoke, “umm.. Hi. Can I sit with you? I won’t bother you, I promise.”

Ororo wasn’t terribly pleased to be assigned late evening library duty, as she had been looking forward to congratulating the students for their stellar performances. As soon as the curtain fell, she had to make her way back to the school and to the library to cover her colleague, Tessa’s shift. She fully intended to make up for her lack of socializing the following night. Making the best use of her time, she lowered her head over the stack of quizzes given earlier in the day, grabbing a red pen to grade them.

Jubilation walked alongside Marie, keeping small talk about the musical, how hilarious Bobby and Cole’s hair looked and how amazing the show was as a whole. Once they arrived at the library, Jubilee looked around, quickly noticing Paul in the empty library. He seemed to be chatting it up with Tessa and Jubilee waved from the entrance before making her way her two friends. She spotted Professor Munroe at the main desk and smiled. “I saw you smirking in the audience, Professor!” She chuckled before taking a seat across Paul and Tessa. It wasn’t opening night so there weren’t any parties but it was a Friday after the show and she was sure people were out doing their own thing. “Oh man, Paulie…you have to go to a show before it ends.” She smiled, looking over to Tessa. “And I saw you in the audience. Thanks for coming, T.” She looked up at the ceiling when the lights started flickering and furrowed her eyebrows. “What in the hell?”

Ororo simply smiled back at her students but it quickly faded and her lips pursed when she noticed a boy stretched out across the table. Her mouth opened to let him know that if he wanted to lie down, he had a bed up in Lykos for that, but Marie spoke up about the matter before she did. She found herself momentarily distracted by the lights but hadn’t thought heavily on it as it had happened before, having students who had powers related to light and electricity.

Marie sat down next to Jubilee and arched a brow at Paul. “Boy, do ya’ usually do this? Tables ain’t for layin’ down on, ya’ know?” Her southern drawl was certainly clear at the moment as the fatigue slowly began to creep up on her. Marie glanced at the girl across the table and smiled. “Hi, ‘m Marie.” Marie looked up to the lights on the ceiling when they began to flicker then looked at Jubilee. “Not you? Not you.” Marie didn’t believe that a school like Xavier’s would have a power shortage so her first guess was Jubilee but since he friend seemed equally as confused, Marie just shoved it off. Lights flicker all the time.

Paul chuckled, putting his book down. "I certainly do." he said, slipping off the table to sit down. The lights flickering caught his attention and he looked up. "Not me... I don't think." he said, shrugging. "How did the performance thingy go? No one got nervous and burned the place down?"

Tessa gave a shy smile and nodded a bit, "it was awesome, you guys were great," she replied honestly and tucked a few pieces of hair back the best that she could. "Marie! Hi. I've been told I should talk to you a lot.. From everyone," this girl must have been one of the more popular ones. "I'm Tessa. It's nice to meet you." The girl noticed a flicker in the lights, but it wasn't the irregularity of the light flicker that got her attention. It was the shift in energy. The girl quickly started to look around with her eyes searching for who could be causing it. Whoever it was, they weren't pleasant. "G-Guys..? I.." How was she supposed to phrase that? Jesus Christ.

Ororo noticed the change in the air immediately, her senses already heightened by the half-moon that was positioned lower than usual in the night sky. Instinct caused her eyes to dart to the collection of study tables where several clusters of students were gathered. Urgency seized her and although she felt protective, she wanted to remain cautious so as not to scare them prematurely. She needed to access if there actually was a threat before diving into action. Fingers clenched, she waited impatiently for a sign beyond the sporadic electrical glitches. Before she had a chance to rise to her feet, Professor Xavier’s voice entered her mind and she quickly noticed his general speech, letting her know that the other professors had been in on his urgent words. “The Brotherhood’s infiltrating. Our security’s been compromised by Magneto. Mystique’s goal is Cerebro. Kevin, head off Mystique to the hall. I’ll do what I can to aid you. Kurt, get the students in their dorms to safety. The rest of you--wherever you’re at in the mansion, do the same. Now!”

Jubilation kept a smile on her face, nodding every so often at the banter going on between her friends but something wasn’t settling right with her. To make matters worse, Tessa seemed as uneasy as she was and as if everything turned into slow motion, Jubilee stood up and turned around, her eyes darting towards the professor and her immediate instinct was to keep her friends protected. The lights continued flickering and the computers in the library began acting up. The power surge keeping all the plugs neat started to rise from the floor and Jubilee looked back at her friends. “This isn’t good.” She didn’t show her nerves and then finally looked over to the double doors that were now shaking. “Shit…” The doors burst open and it was followed by laughter coming from a man and two women. She didn’t recognize them but knew from the mere sight of them that the trio was up to no good. Gulping and looking over to Marie, Tessa, and Paul, she nodded once and then moved her attention back to the group. “What do you want?” Despite her small frame, she kept her voice even and balled her fists at her side. “Well, that’s a great question…” One of the women, a blonde held up her hand and pointed it towards Jubilee and before she had a chance to do anything, Jubilee struck her with a blast and opened her eyes widely at her own actions and in complete shock. The woman fell back, her two friends helping her up and cracked her neck. “I’ve got the firework. I’m sure you two can get the others.” And with that, the man with the long hair spun in around the library, knocking down books as he did so and the last mutant with the raven colored hair and white streaks that matched Marie’s began approaching Tessa and Marie. Jubilee looked over to her friends and locked eyes with Marie. “Friend of yours?” With that, she jumped on a table and smirked at the woman she had blasted. “Didn’t anyone teach you how to behave in a stranger’s house?”

Paul couldn't do anything other than look wide-eyed at the trio. He certainly didn't have the guts to do what Jubilee did. As she moved forward he darted back in a knee-jerk reaction, heading to the far corner of the library as far as he could. He could hear the sounds of rushing wind and rustling paper following him, but he still stopped to try in vain to catch his breath. He heart was beating fast, and quite frankly he was terrified. He didn't have any idea how to defend himself other than to run. It left a heavy sick feeling in the pit of his stomach to leave the others behind, almost as much as the fear of what might happen if any of the trio caught up to him.

Tessa couldn't believe this was happening. What the hell was going on? Who were these people? Why had Jubilee attacked. The frightened girl backed up, her eyes darting to Paul who seemed almost more afraid than she was. She just needed reassurance. She needed someone to tell her it was going to be alright, but that didn't happen, instead, her panic left her petrified. When she looked forward again, a dark skinned female connected her fist so hard with Tessa's stomach, that she toppled over. "J-Jub-" There was no time to finish, seeing as the short haired girl was thrown back into one of the many book shelves. Pain exploded through her body. It was clear this girl just wanted to play with her food. "And who might you be? Do you want to know when you're going to die? I can tell you.. But just a second," she gave a sinister smirk before turning to play with someone who would actually put up a fight.

Ororo glared at the trio of invaders, instantly recognizing the Brotherhood cohorts. Leaping from behind the safety of the desk, she made her presence known in case they were under the impression that this would be an easy fight due to the relative inexperience they expected from the students. Ignoring Riptide’s penchant for vandalism, she focused her attention on Threnody and Phantazia, aiming bolts of lightning to their torsos, temporarily halting their movements in order to evacuate the library as best as she could. Her irises were eclipsed in white as she spoke out in one of the loudest tones she possessed, “All of you, get to the doors, immediately!” But before she could insure their safe departure, the two females of the Brotherhood were recovering and advancing to her students, and Riptide began his predictable bout of trouble.

Marie "Oh what the hell- " Marie whined, not understanding how Brotherhood members managed to get into the school. Actually, after a second's thought, Marie realized who could manage to break a gang of evil mutants into a school: Mystique. But now wasn't the time to be concerned about her foster mother since her friends suddenly went into battle. "No! Wait!" She knew that this wouldn't end peacefully but her friends weren't exactly experts on who they were going up against. Seeing Tessa get hurt made Marie spring into action. "Aye!" She yelled, approaching the dark haired mutant. Marie, trying not to get into a fight, simply grabbed the opposing female by her shoulder before she received a punch to her nose. Marie knew this mutant and knew that this fight wouldn't have much to do with their mutations as it was with Jubilee and her opponent. Marie staggered back, holding onto her nose as she could feel her upper lip begin to moisten with the blood dripping from her nose. "You bitch..." She grumbled. She wiped under her nose with her sleeve and charged at the older mutant who was now braced to deal another blow but this time the blow would come from Marie. Marie grabbed Threnody by her shoulders and head butted her before pushing her away. "What's wrong with ya'?! Actin' like ya' don't know my mom."

Jubilation looked over to Marie, her eye full of worry. "I've got your back." She nodded reassuringly, backing away from Phantazia slowly, keeping her eyes on her opponent and on Threnody as well. Wolverine taught her to never tear her eyes away from the enemy. Phantazia had grabbed hold of an electrical wire and Jubilee watched as it snapped in two and cracked like a whip on to the floor. Keeping her hands out and smirking, Jubilee continued walking back. "Easy there now. We're all friends here. I can getcha hooked up with some mean cookies." She eyed the mutant for a bit longer before snapping her head back at Marie's words. Marie seemed to know these people and at the mention of her mother, it was clear these were brotherhood members. "Shit, it's them?" She grunted and with another blast, pushed Phantazia back onto the floor, the wires still gravitating towards Jubilee. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this going..." She stopped when her back hit a bookcase and she noticed Paul hiding. "Paulie..what the hell? We need your help..." She whispered, watching as her opponent got back on her feet. "I think Tessa is hurt." The books continued flying all over the place as riptide created small tornadoes. She watched as the young mutant opened all the windows to bring in the wind into the room. "You see that guy with the awful haircut? You can take him, Paul. Come on...you can do it." Jubilee ducked when the wire came dangerously close to her face and looked over to Paul once more. "Gotta go!" She ran across the library and reached the stairs, running quickly to the top and looked behind her to see if her new friend was following her. "Where the hell did she go?" Jubilee heard the woman's cackles and looked around. Somehow, Phantazia had turned invisible. "Hey! Stop being a coward! Come out!" She looked around, her fists formed and close to her body when an electrical wire wrapped around her ankle and brought her down, dragging her across the library. The cackles were louder and Jubilee cursed as she felt her side hitting the carpeted floor. "Fuck!" The carpet burned her side as she dragged along. "I need some help!"

Ororo reluctantly accepted that her students wouldn’t get out with ease, especially with the adversaries spreading out in the library. Her snowy white hair flourished around her face as Riptide invited more wind into the room. A mixture of anger and smugness overtook the woman who took pride in her alternate names: Storm. Weather Witch. Windrider. “Do you really think you can outdo me with my own element, Riptide?” she challenged, raising her hands out to either side of her long, slender frame to summon more lightning just outside of the open windows. The strength of the winds already in the room rose but she harnessed them to avoid most of the students and backfire against the human tornado. With an angered groan, Riptide spun hard and fast directly into a large bookcase--its wood breaking with a loud crack! mixed in with a number of books collapsing over him. She waited only a moment to see if he might rise again before turning her attention on locating Phantazia. She’d heard Jubilee calling out for help and while she hated Phantazia’s invisibility power, flight and power over electricity were things that could aid the woman. As she began calming the winds and lowering the temperature in the room long enough to sift through everyone’s body heat, she zeroed in on an unseen frame of warmth and was gearing up to give the woman a taste of her own medicine. As she called on more lightning however, she felt and heard the winds rapidly pick up again and found her attention drawn back to Riptide. The man was back on his feet, throwing small but powerful twisters around the room that ripped up a number of otherwise stationary bookcases and picked up other properties along the way. Ororo was intent on subduing him with the gathered lightning but his own body had taken to whirling about like a spinning top around the room and she knew that she could put a student’s life in danger, were she to strike. For the time being, all she could do was combat his wind manipulation with her own and try to deter the large, weighty cases from crashing down on her students.

Tessa couldn't just stand around, no matter how little she wanted to move. She could help, she could do something, but she would hate herself for it. Coughing, Tessa stumbled over to help the other girl with who'd attacked her and shaky hands removed her gloves. How to touch her though.. How to get close enough. That way Marie could get the upper hand. She wasn't much of a fighter, but she'd spent enough time dodging people's skin to make a decent distraction. After Marie headbutted the girl, Tessa took the opportunity to move behind the other and placed her hands on the attackers face. She screamed at the effort it took but took pride in the girls gasping before an elbow struck her in the head, sending her ears ringing and her body to the ground. "Marie! Let her go! P-please, let's get out of here! Go!" The girl stumbled up and did the best she could to punch the attacker to help the other girl, only to find that her abilities weren't exactly working the way they had before. The punch was enough to knock her back and give her time to grab Marie over the shirt-the first time she'd openly grabbed anyone before and pulled at her, terror clear in her eyes as she pleaded with the girl for what little time she had.

Marie shook her head at the sight of Tessa. She had to acknowledge the bit of courage that this other girl had but it wasn’t really enough for the moment. Marie flinched at the contact that Tessa had made but gave the girl a reassuring look. Sadly, Marie had experience fighting with other mutants and knew that this kind of interaction was not for everyone. " Go help Jubilee!" she said, wiping the blood from her lip. " O-Or help Paul! J-Just do somethin'! Go! I'm fine. I can handle this lady. Just go help where your powers could be of use." Marie didn't know much about Tessa's powers other than some rumors she heard of the girls talking to the residential flora but for all Marie knew, Tessa could bring an army of vines into the library. Threnody wasnt that big of a deal in Marie's opinion but the other two were. " Go!" she yelled once more as she pushed Tessa away when Threnody regained composer and charged towards Marie. Marie caught the villain with a right cross and went into a full on fighting stance. " C'mon! Fight me!"

Jubilation grabbed hold of the leg of a chair and then a table before finally gripping the edge of a staircase, kicking her restrained ankle. "Paul! Tessa! I need someone to take this wire off me." She heard the laughter again in the room but had no face to match which frustrated even more. She felt her knuckles turn white as Jubilee lost her grip on the bookcase and her eyes widened when Phantazia appeared before her once more. "Oh hello, princess. I didn't think I'd find a worthy adversary with you!" The lights began to flicker once more until they completely shut off and Jubilee swallowed hard. "Don't.call.me.princess!​" She freed one hand from the bookcase and blasted the other mutant in the abdomen, shooting her across the room. The male mutant had succeeded in opening all the windows allowing the wind to aid him and his powers. He had completely disregarded the young mutants in the room and began to create some chaos of his own, running at full speeds, knocking down books, chairs, computers. "They're going to destroy this place..." Jubilee whispered as she looked around her favorite place.

Tessa blinked as Marie refused to go with her. What was wrong with this girl? This was hell, this was dangerous as hell. Marie had a death wish! Tessa forced herself to turn to Jubilee and jumped a fallen chat to get to her, the girl pulled at the wires and used her strong hands to loosen them the best she could. The electric one-that one she could handle. Energy was energy and it would hurt like hell, but she could help. It was dangerous, but it was something. "I-I can help.. " Tess looked at her one last time before she ran for the other female attacker who'd just been thrown "Hey! I-I still don't know what's going on, but you're attacking a-a bunch of kids? That's just.." Tessa shook away her fear and when the other stood to attack again, Tess despite the pain and possible side effects that were sure to come from her stupid adrenaline rush that came with the need to help her new friends and tackled the woman back to the ground. Screaming, she tackled the girl and sobbed as she touched the woman's face and took every hit she could with the energy being unleashed. Energy was tangible to Tessa, she transferred it back and forth between things, so holding it in one spot and draining it was just a matter of getting close enough. She stopped when the woman lost consciousness and felt herself burning up, and even glowing from the incredible amount of power she held in her body. "I-I need to get out of here.. I-I ah..." She coughed and clenched her eyes shut as she fell to her knees. "J-Jub.. Please.. Get me out of here.."

Jubilation was glad that Tessa came to her rescue. "Thanks, T!" Her reaction to everything that was happening wasn't lost on Jubilee and she would remember to come to Tessa's aid as soon as she took care of Phantazia." Jubilee stood up and looked around, trying to push the thoughts of sadness from seeing her favorite place in the school destroyed. She shouted down to Marie from the top staircase. "Marie! Tessa's got me. and..." She heard the screams and turned around when she saw Tessa restraining Phantazia. "Nevermind...I think we're good up here..." She walked over to Tessa, wanting to hold the young girl at first but noticing she was heavily affected and had seemed to drain Phantazia. "We need to get you out of here..." She took one last look at Phantazia and then at professor Munroe who was handling as much as she could. Jubilee quickly removed her sweatshirt and placed it over Tessa, placing her hands over the fabric and escorting her to the nearest exit. "Let's go, guys!" She called out hoping Paul and Marie would follow. When the two young girls got to the bottom of the staircase, Jubilee blasted Threnody away from Marie in one last attempt. She had forgotten how much using her powers tired her out. "Let's go..." She spoke out to her best friend who looked as exhausted as she did. "Paul should be behind us..."

Paul felt frozen. He could barely tell where he was in the library. It felt like he was missing hours since he last remembered sitting peacefully at the table. All he could remember after that was running, and people shouting, and panic. He knew he'd been told to do something, asked to help, but the only thing he could focus on was how fast his heart was beating. His calves felt sore and his lungs were stinging. Maybe he'd done enough to distract, but he honestly couldn't remember. As he passed by one of the windows that was opened slightly he backpedaled to it, pushing it open the rest of the way and looking back over his shoulder before slipping out. When his feet touched the ground he ran again, keeping close to the wall of the building. As he circled the campus it sounded like they hadn't been the only people to run into unfriendly faces. Unsure of what parts of the school were safe, he took off towards the trees instead. He could feel guilt and fear deep in the pit of his stomach, and the shameful tears on his cheek. Paul grunted as his shoulder bumped one of the trees, tripping him up so that he landed on hands and knees. At the same time he felt the impact he felt his stomach lurch. He put one hand over it, eyes tearing up a little more as he tried to fight it, but inevitably vomited, coughing and spitting to try and clear his mouth. He grimaced, groaning as he pushed himself back up to his knees. "Fuck" he muttered, pushing his hair back off his forehead, spitting again. "Fuck!" he cursed louder, groaning as he got up and moved away to a nearby tree, sighing as he leaned against it and closed his eyes.

With hands held high, Ororo attempted to lift one of the tornadoes toward the window, exposing it to the open green of the Institute’s rear acreage. As she moved it, however, she saw one of the students leap from the window. A twinge of relief hit her as she thought, At least he got away though she wished he had attempted something with their current predicament of fighting in the dark.She didn’t have time to think on him much longer; as she dismantled one tornado--and blew out a few of the windows in the process--another was headed directly for her. Ororo hadn’t seen it but she felt and hadn’t reacted in enough time to keep it from sending her into a tailspin, mid-flight. She gasped, eyes turning to their usual bright blue, and threw her hands out to disperse the cyclone but not before its aftermath caused her to slam into a splintered bookcase. The wood ripped through the side of her shirt like paper and penetrated her skin along her ribcage, causing her to cry out while her body tensed. She held her hands there while beginning to lower herself but before her feet touched the ground, numerous bookcases swirled violently around her along with Riptides sinister cackles. “Damn you, Riptide,” she spat, pinpointing his location and wasting no time thrusting her hands out to charge his body with several volts of lightning, momentarily lighting up the room. His body convulsed, forcing him to cease his own tailspin before he fell unconscious to the floor. Without his control over the bookshelves, they stopped circling Ororo and came quickly crashing down over her Everything sounded significantly muffled as she rapidly became buried under the cases and their content. Her hands flew from her side to shelter her head and to her surprise, she hadn’t been crushed but panic rose fast within her. The air entering and leaving her lungs was lessening like the air around her but she began calling out for help, hoping with her dwindling sanity that someone would hear her.

Marie was ready to deal another blow to Threnody when she was blasted away by Jubilee's powers. Marie's eyes went wide as she turned to look to her friend. " I can handle this!" she sassed with a crooked, bloody grin. As Threnody staggered to get up and Marie launched towards the elder woman, wrapping her legs around the opponent's neck and dragging her body down to the ground. " Ya'll. Are. Fuckin'. Up. My. Library!" She hissed. Marie had seen Mystique do this before but, at that time, it was to kill. Marie just wanted to hold on long enough to make Threnody pass out. And, after a fit of struggling, Marie got her wish and was able to release the Brotherhood member from her grasp. Marie pushed herself off the floor and ran towards Jubilee and Tessa, wiping her nose. " Let's just get Tessa out of here. If Paul doesn't follow, we'll just come back..."

Ororo stood in her classroom with cheap, pale pink satin and faux black leather materials draped across a few desks she’d pushed together. To her fortune, the work for the costumes was relatively easy this year--her focus primarily set on jackets, poodle skirts, a few dresses and Sandy’s signature catsuit. The rest had been jeans, t-shirts and blouses. She’d already finished the boys’ T-Birds jackets and the letterman’s jackets as well as the poodle skirts. after getting all of the Pink Ladies finally fitted for their jackets, she’d be on to the glittering dresses for “Beauty School Dropout”, saving the catsuit for last. With a mannequin standing beside her desk for the time being, she’d draped the measuring tape from around her neck to hang on the model torso and stood beside it while looking over the design pattern she’d had for the dozenth time. Her gaze was studious but still bore her overall calm while she patiently awaited Joanna’s arrival.

As she made the turn towards the classrooms, Joanna snickered while replying to Bobby’s silly text. After quickly accepting his offer for a dinner date, she stuffed her phone into her front jacket pocket as she walked through the door, greeting the professor with a warm smile. “Hi. Again.” It had been less than an hour since they’d last seen each other and the humor wasn’t lost on her. Her gaze settled on the various yards of fabric strewn across a few desks. “So. Much. Pink. But it’s canon. What are you going to do?” Tossing her bag on top of a random desk, she approached the elder woman with an eager grin, clasping her hands expectantly. “I’m ready for my fitting whenever you are! Time for Rizzo to get sassi...er.”

Ororo softly laughed, looking up as Joanna commented on the fabric, “That is true. Although I suppose Professor Wagner could have taken some liberties and changed it to something less...pink.” Her lips spread into a soft grin, “But what are the Pink Ladies without their signature color?” She set the pattern down on the edge of her desk and began drawing her snow white hair back into a low ponytail while telling Joanna, “I’m ready, Ms. Rizz. I just want to double check your measurements before I begin cutting down the fabric. While I’m taking them, tell me how things have been with you since we spoke in the Greenhouse.”

Joanna’s grin widened at the professor’s quip on Wagner. “He is a little too into the details, if you ask me.” Skipping over to her, Jo spread her arms out to her sides, assuming the position as Ororo gathered the tape in her hands. “Well, a whole lot has happened since then. I’ll start with the amazing stuff first. Mostly because I can’t keep it inside any longer!” She was finding it difficult to keep still due to her budding excitement. “Mark got engaged last weekend and I think I’m more excited than he is! I haven’t been to a wedding since I was ten. And what’s really cool is that this time I’m going to be in the wedding! Najah asked me to be her bridesmaid so if you wondered why I’ve been smiling like an idiot for the past few days, in spite of the weather, now you know!” A prolonged squeal accompanied her statements and soon, her cheeks began to hurt from all the grinning. “Oh! And… Bobby and I got back together after sort of breaking up. It’s a long story!”

Ororo was a bit amused by Joanna’s statement over her colleage but kept her opinions to herself as she pulled the bright yellow measuring tape from the mannequin. She started out getting her sleeve measurements but had gone from looking at the bold black numbers to glancing up at Joanna with curiosity over her bubbling elation. Her lips spread into a new, slightly toothy grin, “Did he? That is very exciting--congratulations to your brother and to you as well, gaining a sister-in-law.” In truth she had been somewhat curious over the smiles Joanna bore during class when all they had been discussing was everyday life in Madrid and Barcelona. Gathering the measurement, Ororo stepped away and jotted down the number and then moved to her other arm just to be sure that they matched. She stilled for only a second and then continued on, “You broke up?” She lightly wrapped the tape around Joanna’s wrist to be sure she wouldn’t make the jacket cuff too tight and then added, “I am glad to hear that you two have worked things out but, do you want to tell me this long story, or would you rather not?”

Joanna’s eyes followed Ororo’s snow white crown as the woman cinched the measuring tape around her left arm. “Thank you! I’ll finally know what it’s like to have a big sister and I cannot wait for them to move closer in a few months. With Mark and I graduating, the big move and the wedding next year, so many good things are happening for my family. It’s about dang time!” In her exuberance, she lifted both arms into the air, forgetting all about the fitting. With an apologetic grin, she muttered, “Sorry!” Chuckling at her own antics, Joanna wondered if she should darken the mood with a recap of the recent troubles with her boyfriend. While they were still in the midst of working on improving their relationship, namely their sporadic lack of communication, she was relieved that they were officially official once more. Still, she respected Professor Munroe’s insight when it came to relationships and their easy rapport made it easy for her to decide to share. “Well, things had been going really great for us up until two weeks ago when I found out he stopped taking his ADHD meds since October. Like, before we even started dating. I was mad at him for hiding that from me.” Pausing to gather her thoughts, she shook her head. “No, I wasn’t mad. I was furious. I didn’t talk to him for over a week. Mainly because of the way he reacted when I told him about the stuff with my dad. I couldn’t understand why he kept this huge secret after we agreed to always be honest. Now, I have to admit that a large part of my anger was misplaced. I wasn’t just angry at him, but at myself for not noticing that he had changed. Of course, I realize that we only became inseparable after we started dating so, to me, he was the same.” Discussing it brought back those conflicting feelings that she was still dealing with. “I’ve forgiven him and we’re working our way back to where we were, but it’s fresh. I love him very much and I know that he isn’t a bad person, but it stings sometimes. The disappointment continues to hang around and I hate feeling blah whenever I think about it.”

Ororo stopped suddenly as she was preparing to free the tape from around Joanna’s wrist. The young woman’s quick apology had her shaking her head with a soft smile returning to her lips. She made quick, efficient work of gathering Joanna’s bust measurements while listening to what had happened between her and Bobby. Most of what Ororo knew of their relationship had been the things Joanna told her directly, but she had seen them in between lacrosse games and walking about the halls from time to time. Their usual interactions were affectionate and although she personally hadn’t noticed the difference between them as a couple during the past week, she could understand what Joanna was explaining for herself and her relationship. “I think it is easy to chalk up the issues you and Bobby are going through to ‘You’re both young and you’re in high school’. And it is true, you both are young and have more obstacles ahead of you as a couple and as individuals. But with what I know of you, I could not in good faith or conscience, issue a dismissive remark such as that. You are a mature young woman, and with what you’ve told me, I think you’re right to still feel disappointment in what had happened. And if you love him as you say, you will get past that feeling in time. Forgiving--really forgiving someone or ourselves can take a lot to do, but it is also incredibly liberating.” She’d finished up her measurements and lightly patted Joanna’s shoulder to let her know she could put her arms down, and while she jotted down the final measurements, she went on to say, “So...that disappointed feeling will lessen eventually. As for Bobby, I imagine he will remember this brief separation of yours, and use the memories that went with it to keep an honest relationship with you and anyone else important in his life.” By the time she finished speaking, Ororo was standing by the desks with a thin chalk stick in one hand while her other hand splayed the pink fabric out a little further for her to measure and mark.

Joanna listened as Ororo offered her reasoned opinion on her relationship with Bobby, finding herself alternating between agreeing nods and relieved grins. The professor’s advice helped put her mind at ease and she begin to accept that, like most things, time would take care of the warring feelings within. Suddenly bashful in her appreciation of her mentor’s wisdom, she studied the tile floor while collecting her thoughts. “Yeah, I know once I’m over this, I’ll feel so much better but it’s still new. You know how impatient I can get, but thanks for easing my nerves and letting me know it’s normal to feel like I do.” Her arms settled against her sides as her gaze lifted to watch Ororo make her notations. “I certainly hope he’s learned a lesson. I know we’ll get past this, but I also know that things won’t always go smoothly, not just between us. Life in general is sometimes difficult. As long as I keep myself grounded, I can make it through anything that comes my way. So, before you ask, I’m not stressing.” Her smile widened until both dimples appeared. “I promise!” After a second, she had to clarify that answer. “Actually, I am stressing. But it has nothing to do with Bobby. At least, not really. I’ve been thinking a lot about college lately and how things are about to change for Cole, Bobby, several of our friends and myself. I’m kind of on the fence about where I want to go. Mainly because I don’t want to go. Is that crazy?”

Ororo listened as Joanna voiced what she’d taken away from what the elder woman stated, along with her own feelings. Sure enough, Ororo was leading toward asking her if, despite her own reason, the matter surrounding her and Bobby’s relationship was creating any kind of stress that she felt she couldn’t quite manage. It was something Ororo couldn’t help herself being mindful of now, following Joanna’s stint in the infirmary. But as she marked off fabric, she heard what had been a cause for some stress for the teen whom she’d grown particularly fond of. She smiled warmly while eying the material one last time before going back to her desk for scissors. “Crazy? Not at all. Bobby, Cole...the friends you’ve made here aren’t just people you would see for a few hours during the week like you might at a more typical school, and even if that were the case, they’re your friends. You’re all adults, or becoming adults so, changes are expected to happen. It doesn’t necessarily mean that any of you will be less to one another than you are. Some of them may even feel exactly as you do, not wanting to go. If you were to stay for another year or two, you would most likely find that a handful of them will still be right here with you as well. And if they aren’t, well…” she paused, not necessarily meaning to but her attention had momentarily tipped in favor of cutting a precise line down the fabric. The moment she finished, however, she continued to say, “You and those friends will do what you can to stay close and stay in touch. The beauty of all the technology now is that you won’t have to wait days for a letter, or sacrifice a night out because you have to wait by the telephone for that call.” In that moment, she knew she sounded incredibly old and smiled a bit at herself for it.

Joanna head tilted slightly as she took in Ororo’s statements, once again reassured of her normality. It was an emotional time and while she continued to go about her days as best as she could, she could feel the pull of change lurking around every corner. She had no idea what most of her friends planned to do as their senior year approached its end and she figured no one wanted to bring it up because it was painful to consider. In the relatively short time she’d been at the Institute, she’d formed lasting friendships and it hurt, sometimes physically, to think of life without the people she now considered family. “This is going to be hard. I don’t even feel pressure about what I want to major in because I’ve known that for a while. It’s the being on my own thing that’s scary. Here, I’m finally settled and in a small way, I’m scared that if I lose this foundation I’ll end up repeating mistakes. I love it here so part of me wants to stay and enroll in the bridge program, but another part wonders if I’m using my friendships as a crutch so I won’t have to try so hard to make it on my own. I haven’t always made the best decisions for myself. I guess I just like the stability and the support because I need it. I feel like being here has allowed me to be who I truly was meant to be from the very beginning, but I’m scared of regressing.” Taking a deep breath, Joanna fiddled with the charms dangling from the bracelet on her left wrist. “Maybe it’s one of those things where I’ll know when it’s time to be on my own. For now, I should probably just focus on enjoying the time I do have left. Everything else will work itself out.”

Ororo involuntarily took herself back to her senior year at Xavier’s and could closely relate to Joanna’s conflict. On the one hand, she had found a place to call home and it wasn’t pilfering through the streets of Cairo or strategizing how to keep herself alive through the next day. The Institute had given her a real home and family; even as an educator, it continued giving to her. At the same time she knew that yearning for freedom to figuratively spread her wings and satiate the craving for independence. For a short time she had fulfilled that desire, but The Institute remained home--a constant in her life. Revisiting thoughts of her own experiences better prepared her for offering something for Joanna to think about. “You got yourself away from a less than ideal situation. And I know that the means may not be something to necessarily glorify but it was something that you were able to do for yourself. More than that, you made the decision to come here and stay here. When we first met, you had been looking for a job. And now you have one. You had some significant guards up but look--you have let some people in. You trust them and you consider them your family. So...I would say that you have made some great decisions for yourself.” She folded up the piece of fabric she’d freed from the rest and as she did so, she spoke on, “Including, the decision to let your time here be as enjoyable as you can make it.” Holding the limp fabric over her forearm, Ororo brought her calm, crystal blue gaze back to Joanna, “I know that it’s easy to fixate on our mistakes and faults, but I don’t want you to forget about the great strides and allowances you’ve made for yourself. Whether you choose to stay here longer, or go elsewhere after you graduate, that fact cannot be taken away from you and my hope is that you will use it to empower you and continue to build on it, as much as possible.”

Once again, Joanna found herself staring at the floor tiles, smiling at the progress she’d made since arriving on campus. With each accomplishment, though small and seemingly trivial on its own, she could feel her confidence blossom and all these months later, she had grown into a more mature woman who had a firm grip on who she was. As proud as she was of herself, she realized a good bit of that progress could be attributed to the woman standing before her. After all, it was Professor Munroe who believed in her potential from the very beginning, seeing the possibilities even when Joanna couldn’t see it for herself. Even now, despite the strides and success, she was still pushing her to be her best self and Jo could only grin, unable to find the right words to express her gratitude. “Do you ever get tired of being right?” Chuckling, she shook her head, as emotions continued to pull her in different directions. “If I keep talking about this I’m going to end up crying and I didn’t wear waterproof mascara today. I have come a long way and since I know what it’s like to be low, I probably won’t backslide. It’s the fear talking. Fear is a roadblock to success and you know how much I like to win. So enough about contingencies and what-ifs.” Rolling her shoulders back, she expelled a calming breath, feeling the weight of indecision and tension ease from the base of her neck. “I think, for myself, staying here another year or possibly two would be good for me. The bridge program exists for a reason and it’d be silly not to take this opportunity. There’s just one thing.” Silently giving herself a string of encouragements, she stared directly at Ororo. “I need a letter of recommendation. Actually, several, but you’re the first person I’ve asked. Well, I haven’t actually asked you yet. So here goes… Would you please write one for me? I already owe you so much for even taking a chance on me and I’m eternally grateful for your kindness, patience and wisdom that you impart without a second thought. I should have told you this sooner because I believe in expressing gratitude to the ones you care about– love while they’re still around to hear it.” Her large eyes bulged after the admission and she blinked a few times for the truth to register, but she wouldn’t dare take it back. “I’m sorry. I ramble when I’m nervous, but you already knew that.”

Ororo listened to Joanna and softly smiled at her mascara comment. The request for a letter of recommendation surprised her, but only for a moment, and not negatively so. Her bent forearm straightened slightly, causing the fabric to slide down her arm a little bit. More than the request, however, was Joanna’s admission that shortly followed it. Much like when they were in the greenhouse, she felt a swell in her chest and had to remember to finish breathing out. Her ponytail swished from her head shaking but she hadn’t taken her eyes off of Joanna once. For a split second she’d rolled her lips in and pushed them back out squaring her shoulders slightly while her facial features remained soft, touched. “I would be honored to write you a recommendation letter, Joanna.” She swallowed back against the prickling feeling at the inner corners of her eyes but kept herself composed as she tore her gaze away to fold the rest of the pink fabric up; the other girls’ measurements were already jotted down on her notepad and with the snowstorm, she knew she would be spending most of her time indoors until it let up. It unsettled her to be indoors so much and she’d be making the most of her visits down to the stables and greenhouse, but her thoughts would be slightly distracted from sewing, thinking additionally on how she might form the best letter of recommendation for Joanna. As she finished creating neat stacks with the fabric, Ororo cleared her throat and softly told Joanna, “Just be sure to write down the colleges you applied to, there on my notepad, okay?”

Joanna caught the glint of emotion swimming in the professor’s eyes as she agreed to writing the letter, knowing without a verbal acknowledgement that the feelings were reciprocated. A soreness that hadn’t been present before invaded her throat and the need to cough grew the longer their gaze held. Swallowing back her emotions, she smiled tightly and reached for the notebook, taking a pen from the holder on the desk. After flipping to a blank page, she jotted down in her neat script, NYU, UCONN and Boston College, briefly thinking about the pros and cons of each choice. Her heart had already made its choice known, but she wanted to go about the decision rationally, exhausting all possibilities before making a decision. “I’m not sure if I can handle those Boston winters. This New York one has been brutal.” Chuckling, she added, “But the cold never bothered you anyway, huh?” Closing the book, she stared at the various stacks of fabric. “Thanks for agreeing to write the letter for me. I really appreciate it.” Returning her gaze to Ororo’s, she beamed, dancing on her tiptoes for a moment. “Hey, do you need help hauling this stuff back?”