A Slice of the Multiverse

Jubee lay on the grassy courtyard, bathing in the sunlight and feeling happy and content for the first time in a long while.

She was stretched out, laying in the yellow dress with her notebook, torn a little and battered, but fine other than a bloodstain on the cover, laying open in front of her. She'd purposefully ignored the pages before these ones, concentrating on the better times as she described the castle and the grounds, Sir James, Anmut, and everything that had happened so far.

On the ground next to her Steve was curled up, asleep as usual, and behind her Sir James and Anmut sat, also enjoying the day.

Jubee slowly made her way down the hall in the bright yellow ball gown that Anmut had put in her closet. She smiled at herself in a mirror, her hair was pulled back into a small bun that she'd made, she felt almost like a princess, except the fact that she was limping and leaning heavily on the wall, moving stiffly and occasionally tripping and whimpering.

And now she was lost, though in a good way. It was cool, just like a fairy princess' castle, full of lots of cheerful, bright little things. the furniture even talked and moved, nd took care of her when Anmut had to leave. She'd had to convince the wardrobe to let her in to get the dress, by saying she'd just leave anyway but she didn't want to walk around in her sleeping gown.

The paths and halls were winding and there were tons of them, and she was compeltey turned around, and had wanted to be back before Anmut had found out she'd snuck out when she was supposed to be in bed.

On the front of her dress clung Steve, who was more or less sleeping, just hanging like a brouch from her front.

She suddenly came to a wide, stone hall that had less furniture but more paintings, and she smiled.

"Hello," she called, and her voice echoed down and then back at her, and she smiled again, limping down and feeling like she was loosing herself as well as her way. It was nice.

Jubee pressed the bike as hard as it would go, roaring out the Harley challenge as she shot down the back roads of New York, Massachusets, New Hampshire....

She wanted to go North, as far as she could, but the amount of injuries and pains that covered her body and soul were taking thier toll, and the bike weaved dangerously as she struggled to control it and keep going forward.

Stupid Chase. Stupid Ororo. Stupid Jean... stupid everybody!

Tears formed in her eyes, and the road got blurry and dark, and she weaved further until finally the inevitable occured and the bike hit a rut, then went spinning and flyingout of control down the road with Jubes hanging on for dear life.

The handlebars were ripped from her grasp, and she felt herself flying, then felt the bike smash into the ground, and finally she let go, ready to die and prove to everybody that Jubilation Lee would never learn anything, not how to take care of herself, not how to drive, and not how to keep herself under control.

She closed her eyes as time seemed to slow, and waiting to careen into the trees headfirst and have it all gone, and done. Finally.