Jean and Wanda: I Love Rock n' Roll (Backdated)

[x-jeangrey.livejournal.com]

Jean goes to visit Wanda at her apartment and cheers her up with Chinese food and Joan Jett.



Jean hadn't really seen a lot of Wanda lately, not since their ski trip in February. Their work kept them rather busy, but it didn't mean they couldn't have a social life...Which was why she was knocking on Wanda Maximoff's door at 7:32pm with two bags of Chinese food from China Fun Chinese Restaurant.

The door opened after a moment, as Wanda needed to get an eyeful of who just might be standing on her doorstep, and it let warm light out into the hallway. Smiling, she stepped back so Jean could get in. "You are a welcomed surprise," Wanda said, shutting the door behind them before she reached out to take the bags. "What brings you by - and with food, no less! I am flattered!"

As Jean stepped past Wanda she noticed her rumpled clothing right away but said nothing at first. Part of her was able to guess why, but she decided to let Wanda talk about it herself if she wanted to, unless it became something she couldn't keep quiet about.

"I was in the neighborhood," Jean said with a grin. "Well, a neighborhood. And I realized we hadn't seen each other in awhile. I figured if you weren't home there's always someone I know in town who might enjoy dim sum and eggrolls."

She followed her into the kitchen. "Though I picked your favorites so I had hoped you would be."

That got her to laugh and a little bit of the tension that strained her shoulders seemed to loosen a bit. "Well, I am sure you could have found someone to take these off your hands," Wanda teased, nudging aside enough space on the dining room table to make room. They could eat on the couch considering how many books, pieces of paper and random maps lay strewn around the dining area. "I am amazed you did not get molested by Jubilee on your way up."

Jean helped Wanda take out the precious cargo, the mingled smells mouthwatering--considering the last time she had anything to eat was cold pizza from the night before at lunch.

"It was a close call, I think I almost heard the door open so I got upstairs really quickly. Hopefully she isn't part bloodhound."

There was a snort before Wanda headed into the kitchen - there were plenty of real plates but for this meal, they could make do with paper plates and plastic utensils. "You have met Jubilee, have you not?" Coming back in, she waved a fork in Jean's direction.

"She is simply laying in wait until I least expect it before she shows up and eats me right out of home."

Laughing, Jean started opening the overloaded Styrofoam boxes. "I'd suggest putting padlock on your cabinets but she'd probably blow it open," she said.

"It really is never a good idea to try to get between Jubilation Lee and food."

"I learned that the hard way." Placing everything on the table next to the food, Wanda scurried back into the kitchen to grab two beers and an opener so that they could have something to drink, as well. Jean provided food, she could provide this, at least. Handing one over to Jean, she placed hers down so she could shrug off her suit jacket and toss it onto the nearest chair. "You have fantastic timing, I only just got home from the office."

"Thanks," Jean said, lifting the beer in gracious acknowledgment as she took a seat at the table.

"Sometimes I think the only way to get stuff done is at night."

It was quieter, with less distractions. It helped when she had trouble sleeping to focus on something too. It was why the students usually got their homework back in record time by the next day.

Wanda grimaced for a moment, taking her own seat across from Jean. "It used to be that way," she admitted quietly, "but these past few months, it seems it is just as quiet during the day than it is at night. At night, though, I can contact those in other time differences and, to be honest, I simply get too distracted in my work than not."

After taking a drink of her beer, Jean studied Wanda for a little while before focusing on her sesame chicken.

"Any new leads?"

It was the unspoken elephant in the room, but she knew it was on her mind without even reading it. Losing a teammate, temporarily or not, was a hard thing to deal with.

"No." She busied herself with piling food on her plate and the silence wasn't entirely uncomfortable as they both did so. "Just running in circles, it seems," Wanda continued, frowning sharply. "Or trying to find a needle in a haystack - take your pick of quaint expressions."

Jean prodded a piece of chicken with her fork, turning it over as if it might look any different on the other side.

"Sorry," she said, drumming up a smile. "Sent things into a bit of a downer, didn't I?"

A napkin was balled up and tossed at Jean in response. "I look like I have been living in my clothes or, perhaps, on the streets," Wanda said dryly. "You did not turn anything into a downer - in fact, your presence is probably helping. God knows I have not been the best of company lately."

While Jean was pretty apt on catching things thrown at her--telekinetically anyway, she let it glance off the top of her head as she grinned. "I thought you were going for the boho look," she mused.

"And besides...I'd probably do the same thing if I were in your situation. In fact...I have."

Empathy for a teammate was an side effect of the job, for better or worse.

Wanda grimaced slightly at Jean. "How on earth did we ever end up in this kind of situation where we can empathize about something like this?" She held up a hand. "Oh, wait, you an original Xavier-ette and I am the daughter of Magneto, master of magnets. How could I forget?"

Jean smiled, resting her chin in her hand. "Seems almost poetic, doesn't it?" she mused. It was could they could laugh at it, otherwise they might've been brooding.

"Poetic, perhaps. Ironic? Certainly." She smiled slightly at the thought that they should be fighting, not sharing a beer and dinner. She needed a moment to laugh and smile - there had been too many nights spent awake, crippled with worry and stress.

Jean nodded to the stereo in the corner. "How about some music?" she said, taking a bite of her chicken. Hopefully there was something good on.

"I once asked Douglas if he could figure something out so I could listen to more stations than just this 'hip hop' and whatever else it is they pass for music over here." With a grunt, Wanda pushed herself up from the table before she wandered over the stereo. Like a lot in her apartment, it looked like it had been expensive a few years ago but was well-worn - well-loved - at this point. She had a hard time parting with anything that she'd had to pay for. "And then he handed me something called a Sirius radio ..."

"I have that in my car," Jean said, nodding. "Doug knows his stuff."

She grinned a bit. "So...you mean you don't like people talking about cars, guns, bitches, and hoes?"

Messing around with the radio, Wanda shot a grin over her shoulder. "I might have something of an issue with it. Surprising, I know. Is it really necessary to sing about your exploits in such a manner? Give me a man with a fiddle and a woman with bells on her wrists and ankles any day. A cliche, yes, but it does not mean it is not good music!"

"It takes a real man who knows how to play the fiddle," Jean said. That was an impressive talent in her opinion.

A tune started up on the radio and Jean held up her hand "Wait, that one!" she said, then started to sing along with the radio.

"Saw him dancing there by the record machine. Knew he must've been about 17..."

Wanda stared at Jean for a moment - of all the songs and all the stations, she would have picked that one? Still. The corners of her mouth twitched slightly before she broke out into song, hips swaying as she turned up it slightly. "The beat was going strong, playing my favorite song - and I could tell it wouldn't be long ..."

Jean caught Wanda's look of momentary disbelief and returned it with a wide grin, picking up her spoon to use as an impromptu microphone.

"Til' he was with me...yeah me! Singin..I love rock'n'roll! So put another dime in the jukebox baby..."she sang, bobbing her head with the beat, resisting the urge to jump up and dance.

It had been far too long since she'd been able to really allow herself to have fun, and so it sort of resulted in overflow.

After a few minutes of what, really, was spontaneous hysterical singing, Wanda staggered back over to the table and hand to lean on the back of Jean's chair to catch her breath. Laughing and singing were almost impossible to do, she'd discovered, but she couldn't stop the giggles from breaking free even as she tried to regain her composure.

Glancing over at Wanda, Jean grinned broadly as she took a bite of her now luke warm Chinese food.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how its done."