xp_logs | Hank, Jubilee, Sunday afternoon

Backdated a bit; Directly after the operation on Maddie's shoulder, Hank finds Jubilee waiting to find out how it went. He reassures her, and they talk a little on several subjects... including Madelyn, training, and scaling the outside of the house.

Hank wasn't really at all surprised to see Jubilee hanging around outside,
when he'd finished operating on Maddie's shoulder. It was touching to see
how much she cared about Madelyn, and how worried she clearly was. "Good
afternoon, Jubilee," he said cheerfully, as he shed gown and little hat into
the appropriate receptacle. "Come to see how it went?" He'd left Maddie in
Clarice's capable purple hands, so he could take a few minutes to talk.

Jubilee nodded, small sparks glinting on her fingertips before she clasped
them behind her back. She didn't want to singe Hank accidentally and right
now her control was less then could be desired. "Yeah, BB. She doing okay?
Can I see her yet?"

"She's just fine. Still unconscious, but she should be waking up soon." Hank
smiled at her reassuringly. "Don't worry. It wasn't major surgery, and she
came through without a hitch. She'll be just fine. One handed, for a while,
but fine. Unable to pull shifts in the medlab, but fine. Cranky as all hell,
I expect, but fine." He winked. "I'm sure you see a trend here."

Jubilee grinned, glad to be talking, it made it a little easier to push the
worry back. "I'm gonna be movin' into her suite while she's recoverin'.
Kinda help her out, be her hands for a bit. So I'm probably gonna be seein'
a lot of cranky Mads. Will have to ask Carls how she handled it growin' up
with her. She really gonna be okay, Doc? Not that I'm doubtin' you or
anythin', just that it's...well, it's Mads, ya know? She's important."

"I know." Hank patted her shoulder gently. "Yes, she'll be okay.
Sore,irritable, and probably on an all snapped-off-head diet for a while,
but okay. And I'm glad you'll be there for her. She's going to need
someone... trying to function with one hand can be incredibly difficult."

"Got some experience with that myself, BB." Jubilee replied, relaxing
finally as she began to believe that Madelyn would indeed pull through
without any long-term problems. "Gonna be movin' in with Mads for awhile ta
help out while she's not able to use the arm."

She leant back against the wall, finally examining Hank, who she knew had
been on the mission as well. "So, you doin' okay?"

"Well enough. My leg was the only serious injury." Hank indicated the broad
bandage circling his calf. "A curved blade went right through it.
Fortunately it didn't hit anything vital." He smiled at her. "It's messy and
painful, but not life-threatening... and Amanda gave it just a touch of
healing magic, to prevent infection. Infections can get nasty, in puncture
wounds."

"And how much actual sleep have ya gotten, Doc? As opposed to 'I'm sayin'
I'm going to sleep but what I'm really gonna be doin' is tossing and turning
and then deciding that the paperwork really can't wait till the mornin' as
an excuse not to sleep?" she asked, gaze curious.

The battle must have been hellish and while she was fairly certain Hank was
the type that actually slept when they said they were going too, there was
no harm in asking. If he hadn't been, she was about to make damn sure he
did. She grinned as she realised that she was being somewhat hypercritical,
considering her own battles with nightmares and lack of sleep but that was
different. Her people weren't allowed to let themselves run down, and
sometime during that night she'd helped him build castles with books that
Hank was most definitely one of her people.

Although, in a general way she considering anyone currently living at the
school her people - but there was still room for a few special ones. People
who seemed to need her, even if only in a small way and she needed to be
needed.

"I slept for... nearly eight hours, I think. With a break in the middle to
eat. And then more food when I woke up the second time." Hank grinned. "I
could get used to this people waking me up with food thing. At my size, I
have to eat a lot... when I was your age, and not quite done growing,
I had to get up in the night to eat, most nights, because I couldn't go a
full eight or nine hours without a snack."

"My God, someone who takes care of themselves? Dude, you're totally lettin'
down the team. Don't you know you're meant to be runnin' yourself ragged and
then collapsing in a dramatic heap on the main stairs? That way, people
bring you chocolate. It's like, a great circle of life...well, great circle
of drama anyhow." Jubilee replied, hand over her heart and a totally
contrived look of shock on her face. "An the eatin' thing explains a lot
about why I used to see you in the kitchen when I went on my 'not sleepin'
bends.

"I did collapse in a dramatic heap. I just made it to my bed first. Because
I'm a genius, and know that the stairs aren't a comfy place to sleep." Hank
grinned. "Although if it'll get me chocolate, I'll use the stairs next time.
Although I'll probably wake up to find the little kids scaling me like a
furry Everest. And yes, that's why you'd see me... and if you'll believe it,
I don't eat nearly as much now as I did in my teens and early twenties.
Building this much mass takes a lot of time and food." He poked her side
gently. "It's a good thing you weren't around then. As little as you are,
you might have fallen into one of my sandwiches and never been seen again."

Jubilee giggled and then clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide before
bursting into a full laugh. "Dude, you just made me giggle...I never giggle!
Such a bad influence, whatever will I tell my legion of adoring fans who
think I eat small kittens for breakfast if they catch me giggling?"

"That it's all part of the plan," Hank said seriously. That little giggle
had been utterly adorable, but she might not want him to admit it. "You're
just building up a cute-and-harmless alibi before your coup-attempt." He
twirled an imaginary moustache. "Just as I cultivate a jolly-old-doctor
persona, you may cultivate a cute, giggly, bubbly facade to conceal your
plans to take over the world."

"True, although if we're both going to be taking over the world, we may have
to make a pact to divide it equally...an I get the corner office with the
good view of the lake." Jubilee replied, mirth still evident in her tone.

"We can divide the administrative responsibilities." Hank grinned impishly
at her. "I'll take the eugenics program and the medical experimentation, you
can handle the governmental control of the production of new, niftier tv
programs, and co-ordinate the Secret Fashion Police. Ruling the world is a
big job, after all. I could share."

Jubilee appeared to think about this very seriously for a second before
grinning widely. "Deal!"

Hank laughed softly. "It's a plan." He patted her shoulder gently. "So...
how are you doing?" he said, more seriously. "I know Madelyn is important to
you... it can't have been easy, having her go into danger... and come back
hurt. You okay? Need someone to hold a cushion for you while you beat it
up?"

Jubilee shook her head - a brief stab of fear in her eyes at the thought of
actually letting loose any of the emotion boiling just under the surface.
She still remembered the incident with the demon and just what she could do
if pushed to it. She'd been weary of using her powers ever since, or showing
any of the anger that she still struggled with at times. The light show she
intended to do with Alison and Nathan's help was as much a test of her
abilities at control as an honouring of the staff and students at the
school. "I'm fine." she replied after a moment, tone ruthlessly controlled.

Hank nodded. "Well... if there's anything I can do," he said gently. "Please
let me know? And... well...I don't know about you, but I could use a 'we all
survived' hug." He wished, uselessly, that there was some way to make it
better for her, to help her... he'd just have to hope she would tell him, if
there was anything.

She sighed, it wasn't that she didn't trust Hank, and she wanted to let him
help. She just didn't know if she could trust herself. "Alison and I
meditate most mornings. She's helpin' me with the control, ya know?
Just...haven't really let go of myself like that since the demon attacked an
you could get hurt, Hank. Emotions and my power, they're kinda all caught up
in each other. Lettin' myself get angry, I don't wanna risk it. But I think
I can handle a hug."

Hank reached out, wrapping her gently in his arms and burying her in fur all
the way up to her nose. "If it would help, I can arrange more training for
you... what are you doing at the moment, besides the meditation?" She was so
little.... as tough as he knew she was, in some ways, he couldn't help
feeling at least a bit protective.

"Been trainin' with Moira, workin' on what I can do with them. But I guess I
didn't really wanna make a fuss of bein' afraid of my own power, ya know?
Especially since it's not really bein' afraid of usin' it, as bein' afraid
to use it to the extent I know I can. An then there's people tellin' me it's
okay to feel but I...I just don't wanna hurt anyone." Jubilee replied, voice
slightly muffled against Hank's fur as she hugged him back, her arms not
long enough to reach right round him.

"You aren't the only one, by a long shot," Hank said gently, smoothing her
silky hair. "Alex has issues with his powers, too... I arranged regular time
in the Danger Room, for him. It's heavily shielded enough that he could use
his powers without worrying about them getting out of control, which seems
to have helped a bit. If you think it would help, and if Moira hasn't
already done so, I could arrange time for you too." He smiled a little. "And
I know how you feel, not wanting to hurt anyone. I may not have your powers,
but I can break bones with a squeeze of my hand, if I'm not careful. It's...
not easy, being careful all the time."

"She has but if you'd be cool with helpin' out too, I don't think I'd say no
to a few extra sessions. I kinda. Well, after this, I thought I might ask
Scott and Alison if they'd let me be a trainee. Think I'm gonna need as much
of a head start as I can get if I'm gonna convince them to give me a go."
Jubilee replied, sharing something she hadn't thought she would till she'd
said it.

She wanted to help - to not have to sit and wait next time. To do that she
would need to fix this issue she had with her powers. Then she would just
have to convince Scott and Alison that she was worth taking a chance on. Not
so much because she think they had a bad opinion of her, just that she
hadn't till this point really shown much ability where it came to following
orders or being a team player. She'd need to convince them that she could do
both things, and wouldn't put whatever team she was on in danger. Both had
their degrees of difficulty but she'd never much liked the easy road.

Hank blinked. "A trainee, huh?" He smiled down at her. "I'll be happy to
help. I may not have energy-based powers myself, but I've spent enough time
studying and training them over the years to be helpful, I think." He patted
her back gently. "If the team-leaders allow it, I can set up some very basic
training drills for you in the Danger Room... the basic stuff trainees do
have to do, but you don't have to be a trainee to do them, since they're not
at all dangerous."

"Bit of a surprise, hey?" Jubilee replied, grinning. She then blinked
slightly, realising that she'd almost missed what Hank had said there at the
end. She was slowly beginning to recognise that she had a problem with
listening when she got on a roll with her own inner world. Something else to
work on. "Hank, do you ever get a chance ta just let go? Cause if I need it,
then you sure as hell must considerin' you're dealin' with a hell of a lot
more stress then I am most days."

"It's easier for me. I can go for a run, or bounce around the gym for a
while, to blow off the excess steam. I don't have powers-buildups to contend
with as well." He grinned a little. "If you ever want to see it, you're
welcome to... Miles rides on my back, sometimes, while I do it, and the
little squeaks and giggles seem to indicate that I make a good
rollercoaster." He eyed her thoughtfully. "You're small enough that you
could probably do the same, if you liked."

Jubilee's eyes widened slightly and a small war was fought between the
awareness of herself being eighteen years old and the idea that she wasn't
supposed to find the idea of that as fun as she did and the small child part
of her that hadn't ever really had a chance to be a proper kid. In the end
the kid won, as it wasn't exactly like she'd ever given a damn about 'being
seen as mature'. If people really couldn't see her for who she was without
some stiff backed prim attitude, then they weren't the kind of people she
wanted to know.

"That'd be pretty damn cool." she replied finally, a sunny smile gracing her
features.

Hank chuckled. "Then it's a date," he said cheerfully. "As soon as my leg is
cleared for active duty again, one furry roller-coaster ride for you... or
more, if you like. And... I understand you like rock-climbing." He grinned
at her. "If you hold on tight, we can go up the side of the house... one of
the lower parts, anyway. I'm not supposed to do that anymore, but I do
sometimes if nobody's looking."

Jubilee nodded, looking back at the operating room. "Dude, I gotta go to
class. Do you think...Well, could ya tell me when she wakes up? Like to be
here ta help her, ya know?"

"I will. I'll even write you a note to get out of class, if you need one."
He patted her shoulder gently. "I know Maddie would like to have you here."

"Thanks, BB. You're a star." Jubilee replied, dashing off as she realised if
she didn't book it she'd be late.