could've been worse

by V. Hayrabedian

It could have been worse, M knew. Had always known, but had never acknowledged it until now. Jubilee shifted impatiently in her arms, pulling away to fling an arm open across the pillow.

It could have been worse. M pursed her lips and followed the light on the upturned nose and the arch of the thin eyebrows with her eyes. Of course it could have been worse. She could have been raped. Mutilated... killed. She might have been forced to endure countless humiliations before being dissected in a lab like a rat.

'She'... 'she'. M' lips tightened. {{Coward... say it!}} *Jubilee* could have been that hurt. *Jubilee* could have been that humiliated and damaged. Jubilee chose that moment to cry out softly in her sleep, turning back into M's embrace. "Mmmmmm..."

Monet St Croix had no illusions. Jubilee was not calling her name. Jubilee -*her* Jubilee - had been damaged. Violated. Hurt. Humiliated. Just about dissected before her miraculous escape. Raped. Beaten... any number of other adjectives, synonyms, descriptions, categorised crimes. Empty crime reports, no charges pressed. Of course not - hard for a mutant to prove anything, especially not in the wake of Operation: Zero Tolerance.

Wake was right, Monet thought, idly tracing random patterns into the bruises on Jubilee's arm. A wake - where everyone celebrated what O: ZT had 'achieved' and swept the rest under the carpet. Jubilee hadn't wanted to press charges for the rape and assault - kidnapping and attempted genocide was evidently enough for S.H.I.E.L.D. to go after Bastion. And no-one, not even Sean Cassidy, had been able to persuade Jubilee to submit to the invasive examination she'd have had to undergo for any medical evidence to be permissible in court. Not that anyone else had even dared breach the subject - certainly not M, who had simply collected her young lover and team-mate from the mansion's medical facilities and carried her back to her bed. "She'll feel better there," she'd said, and Mr Cassidy had marvelled at her increased sensitivity. Emma Frost, who knew better, had simply smiled that calculating little smile of hers and said M shouldn't hesitate to call any of them if she needed any help.

Any help - with Jubilee. What threat could Jubilee possibly pose to anyone in her current state? Whatever had made Emma Frost think that invulnerable Monet would need any help dealing with injured little Jubilee.

Of course, then Jubilee had woken up and tried to pretend that nothing had happened. In her view, bruises faded, wounds healed and bad men were put behind bars - most of the time. You simply had to get on with your life, act Zen-like and let it all pass you.

"That sounds like Wolverine."

"No. It doesn't."

Not conventional Wolverine, no. But the Wolverine that not many apart from Jubilee knew. And now... telepathic, invulnerable, *perfect* Monet knew as well.

"Yes, it does. Are you sure that's wise, Jubilee?"

A scowl, and Monet backed off. Give her time, she reasoned. Give her time. After all, it could have been worse.

"M?"

"Yes?"

"Nothing."

Could have been. Might have been. Probably was. But it was over now... wasn't it?

Jubilee shifted restlessly in her sleep, a troubled expression on her face. M watched her, unmoving. Eventually, Jubilee's expression cleared and she cuddled closer to M. One eye peeked open. "I used to be a man..."

M laughed softly and rubbed her nose against Jubilee's cheek. "Jubes..." There was no answer - Jubilee had fallen asleep again. But it didn't matter.

It must have been horrible. Pain. Humiliation. Every kind of fear. But it was over now, and M was here to be with Jubilee. She couldn't fix everything, but, then, she didn't have to. They'd be okay - somehow.

Jubilee smiled in her sleep, and M knew one thing for certain. It could've been far, far worse.

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