Hello there! Welcome to the second half of the Wolverine and Jubilee show! Hope you're not too mad at me for splitting their meeting into two parts!

Once again, thanks for all of your reviews - BerserkerHellHound, moviemom44, Jeanniebird, We Run This, swartzvald, Katya Jade and kimmer kins! I appreciate all your thoughts and comments - except for ones that just say 'the chapter was too short' or 'you're not updating enough'! I already know this, so don't stress me out!

Time for the rest of the tale - onward!

ooXoo

8. Irresistible Force

Jubilee:

Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod ….!

It's the Wolverine! But he's crazed …. out for blood! My blood! An' if I don't think of something quick, he's gonna get it!

He's about to lunge again …..

I fling another handful of fireworks, driving him back against the wall. I was hoping to knock him out, but all I've done is make him even angrier. God, that growling! And those things in his hands – what the hell are they? Are they part of him?

Oh Lord, he's coming again – what am I gonna do? I don't want to hurt him, but he'll kill me if I don't stop him. Think, Jubilee, think!

"Stay back! Don't come any closer!"

Brilliant, Jubilee, as if he's gonna – no, wait! He hesitated, I'm sure of it. Does he ….. does he recognise my voice, from before?

"Wolverine?"

I say his name softly and also drop my hands to look less threatening and this time there is a definite reaction, if only for a second or two. He tilts his head sideways, like a curious dog faced with something it doesn't understand, his brow furrowing in concentration. The angry growl turns into a chuff of surprise, and my hopes lift, but then a shudder passes through his body and he snorts at me, almost as though he is chiding me for trying to fool him. When he starts forward once more, he holds those things in his hands in front of him like a shield, as if inviting me to look and see how sharp they are. I take a rain check on the offer and try to back off slightly to put some distance between us, but I am already flat up against the wall an' there is nowhere else for me to go. I think Wolverine knows it too, because he stops and snarls at me, showing those wicked looking canines, and I get the feeling he is trying to scare me into doing something stupid. Christ, what should I do? I know nothing about ferals – should I act unafraid and look him in the eye or let him dominate and keep my eyes on the ground? The wrong decision could cost me my life as sure as my name is Jubilation Lee.

I keep getting flashes of that night at the Embassy – the moment I first realised Wolverine was coming to me through the shadows. This could almost be a replay of that same scenario, only this time – if I'm not careful – I will be playing the part of the bloody corpse on the floor.

Wait ….they were expecting this, weren't they? That's why they put me in here. Pistol and Blondie – they were counting on Wolverine ripping me to shreds.

Well, fuck 'em both. I'm not gonna give 'em the satisfaction.

However, surviving this encounter also involves getting Wolverine clued in on the plan, which isn't gonna be easy. He has been watching me with a wary eye, as if trying to work out what I'm thinking. Newsflash: saving my life is my chief priority right now, boyo, so I gotta make my move before someone comes to investigate and gets him all growly again.

Despite his aggression, he appears reluctant to stage an all-out attack. Could this be through fear of me and of what I can do? Seems unlikely – he's way bigger than I am and built like a linebacker. He could take me down easily if he really wanted to. Which suggests that no matter how snarly and cross he appears on the outside, he doesn't really want to hurt me.

So let's put that theory to the test, shall we?

Slowly, I inch forward, talking softly all the while, telling him that it'll all be okay – I hope – and that there's nothing to be afraid of. He keeps his eyes on me the whole time, growling way down in his throat, and I feel as though I am walking willingly into the lion's den. I'm not sure if it's the bravest, or the most foolish, thing I've ever done, but my options are limited. I either drop my guard and wait for Wolverine to gut me, or take the bull by the horns and try to talk my way out.

It's all or nothing.

I'm probably about an arms-length away from him when everything hits the fan.

On reflection, I must have said or done something to make him feel threatened, because he suddenly lunges for me in a blur of motion, and all I can see are those silver claws coming right for my face. I shriek and back-peddle rapidly, but he's fast and crashes into me before I get far, bearing me down to the floor in a tackle that knocks all the breath from my lungs. And suddenly he is right there on top of me, his heavy body pressing me down as he snarls viciously in my face. I feel the touch of cold metal on my skin and cry out in fear as he pushes those claw things into my throat.

"Wolverine, no! Please, no!"

I don't expect him to stop – I honestly expect to die a painful and bloody death – but stop he does, and I open the eyes I hadn't realised I had squeezed shut in fright to look directly up into his. They are the deepest black – not the beautiful blue I have fantasised about – and they scare me because I am looking into the unknown. They are the eyes of an animal.

He blinks slowly at me and pulls his lips back in a snarl that almost makes my heart stop. The claw against my throat presses deeper as I swallow and he tracks the movement with those black eyes, my whole body vibrating with the growl that is rumbling through his chest. But whatever his intent, he hasn't killed me yet and I take some small amount of comfort from that.

I raise a trembling hand and place it gently on his. Oh god, I'm so scared – please don't let him kill me. His fist is warm, but tense, and I can feel the muscles bunching beneath the skin.

"Wolverine, please. Ease up a little, okay?"

For the longest time, he is still except for that unnerving growl and each second feels like an eternity as I wait to feel the slice of cold metal at my throat. But then, ever so slowly, he cocks his head and moves his fist downwards. The claws are still there, but no longer pressing into my skin and I take a shuddering breath, thankful that I am still alive. Okay, so I'm still scared, but I can deal with that.

"That's very good, Wolverine," I approve, shakily. I can hear the nervousness in my own voice and I hope that Wolverine doesn't hear it too because I've no idea how he'll react. They say that mad dogs attack when they scent fear – God help me if this holds true for the feral laying on top of me right now.

"Thank you for moving your hand, Wolverine," I continue, carefully. I've no idea if he can understand what I'm saying or not, but I'm keeping my tone soft and gentle, hoping this will reach him if my words can't. "Do you think you could get off me? You're really heavy and the floor's cold."

And that really isn't the half of it. Truth is, I have never felt so aware of my own nakedness as I do right now. I can feel every inch of my skin as Wolverine's body presses down on it – the thin T-shirt and sweatpants he is wearing doing absolutely nothing to disguise the hardness of his muscles. And his heat ….! He's like a furnace, burning up with rage. I can feel an answering fire beginning to burn in my own belly and I know that, under different circumstances, this whole situation would be highly erotic.

I jump as he suddenly ducks his head, fearing a bite from those deadly canines, but he merely sniffs at my hair, making soft whiffly noises in my ear. I can feel his hot breath against my neck and my heart pounds an answering rhythm, trying to beat its way out of my chest and into his. When he draws back and looks down at me in confusion, I raise a trembling hand and place it against his cheek. My fingers slide into his mutton-chops, expecting to feel coarse hair but finding it soft and silky instead. My eyes track upwards to the crests that frame his head and I long to touch and find out if they are as soft and springy as they look, but I know I am courting danger with my boldness and this seems to be confirmed when Wolverine abruptly jerks away from my hand and growls at it as if remembering what it can do. I immediately lower it to the floor beside me, but I know now that Wolverine dropped his guard with me for a moment and if he can do it once, he can do it again.

"Easy now," I whisper softly, fixing onto those deep black eyes with my own and striving to convince him of my sincerity. "I'm not going to hurt you, you know that, don't you? I'm sorry if I hurt you before, but you scared me, being all big and growly like that."

He is quiet as he listens to my voice, giving nothing away, but I know now how volatile and quick he is, and I understand how easily he could end my life if he suddenly decided to. But I carry on talking – sometimes praising him and complimenting him, but mostly assuring him that I won't hurt him, that I'm his friend and he can trust me. And still he listens, although he never puts those claw things away and he doesn't ease off the pressure on my body. I don't know how long we lie there – it feels like hours and one of my legs goes numb – but I don't give up on either him or me. Whatever the Weapon X people have done to him, there is a soul in this man somewhere – I'm sure of it – and I aim to reach it for both our sakes.

It all begins with the faintest hint of blue outlining those black eyes – so slight that I almost miss it. Heart pounding, I double my efforts, speaking now of my life at the mansion, drawing him in, making him want to be a part of it. And all the while that outline expands, eating away the black until, with a sudden surge, they snap back to normal and I am looking into the icy blue depths that have haunted my dreams since I first learned of the Wolverine's existence.

And just like that, we are both in uncharted territory ….

I hold my breath, unsure of myself now that the rules of the game appear to have changed. Wolverine looms above me, seeming calmer now, but still with that air of menace that obviously makes him so desirable to the X-Op project. He seems to be studying me carefully, and I feel like a bug caught under the magnifying lens of a microscope. I can almost feel the heat of his gaze as his eyes rove my face, lingering on my mouth before sliding down my neck and watching my pulse beat under my skin. I take an involuntary breath, jolting his fist slightly with the movement and making the light glint off the metal of his claws. He appears shocked to see them so close to my throat and I jump as they snap abruptly back into his wrist. Wolverine snorts at me and rears back onto his haunches, freeing my body from his considerable weight. A heartbeat later and I am scrambling out from under him, scooting back against the wall and wrapping my arms around myself in shock. As the enormity of what I've just gone through hammers down on me, I drop my head into my hands and force myself to take deep, calming breaths.

I'm alive …

Wolverine:

It's over.

The rage has passed, calmed by the female an' her words. It's still there, simmering under the surface, but I have it under control now an' my actions are again my own. She talked me down. She was scared an' in fear of her life an' yet still she talked me down.

She is calmer now. The scent coming from her to me is clear an' pure, an' I breathe her deep, letting her essence ground me. She looks up at the sound, her eyes wide an' soulful like a deer's, an' my gut twists at the memory o' my claws at her throat. I could have ended her life so easily. I am big an' strong – a fine healthy male – an' death is no stranger to me, yet I take no pleasure from stealing the life of an innocent. An' this female is innocent, I am sure o' that. She has not threatened the handlers, nor has she compromised a mission, yet somehow my masters have seen fit to finish her. Why? What has she done to worry them so?

She is studying me now, looking me over without fear, an' I can't help puffing out my chest, letting her see my strength an' vitality. When her eyes drop to my hands, I flex my fingers uncomfortably, feeling ashamed. I scared her with my claws, I know that now, yet she touched my hand, even while they were still unsheathed. No one has ever done that – not without risking a limb for the affront. She controls her fear well, this female. Not many can face me an' still have the courage to look me in the eye.

While she is checkin' me out I remain on my haunches, lettin' my hands rest safely across my knees. An' now I allow myself to return the compliment. Her knees are drawn up with her arms around them an' she is blockin' the view, but I already know she is soft an' curvy, with hips that would support strong, healthy cubs. But I can see her eyes clearly an' they are the purest blue, the colour o' the sky above the mountains on a clear day. They were the first thing I saw as the rage dissipated an' they grounded me, bringin' me back from the dark place an' restoring my sanity. I could seal my soul forever in their depths.

She spoke to me – an' I wanna do the same. There are so many things I want – need – to ask her, but after so long without words I don't know how. I try signing – You? Where? – but she frowns at me in confusion, giving me the answer to another of my questions. Wherever she is from, she converses freely with her handlers, otherwise she would know the hand-words.

She startles as a shadow darkens the doorway, but it is only a keeper with food. The female remains seated against the wall, but I notice she tries to hide her nakedness as my food is pushed through the trap at the bottom o' the door. The tray skates across the floor an' comes to rest only inches from my knee, but I stop my hand from reaching for it when the female's face goes white.

I guess she isn't fed on raw rabbit too often where she comes from ….

Jubilee:

Oh my god, is he gonna eat that?

I blanche and look away, but he leaves it untouched on the metal tray, doing my stomach a huge favour. He seems much calmer now, almost a different person, although the way he is checking me out seems slightly creepy. He reminds me of a big cat – silent, but deadly.

And what's with the weird signing? Is that how he communicates? Can't he talk? Maybe not – I've only ever heard him growl and snarl. Henry suggested that ferals are little more than animals, with limited intelligence, yet when I look into Wolverine's eyes I know there is a man in there somewhere. These X-Op bastards may have buried it deep, but I refuse to believe that Wolverine is nothing more than a wolf in a man's clothing.

I jump as the lights in the cell suddenly dim. Geez, I'm getting skittish – that's twice now. I look around anxiously, but Wolverine seems unconcerned. My sense of time is shot all to hell an' back – could it be evening already? Maybe so, but which evening? How long have I been here?

Are the X-Men even now speeding to rescue me?

Wolverine begins to make a soft, growly kind of purr and the sound, coupled with the semi-darkness and my recent scare, begins to make me feel sleepy. I fight it, I really do, but I have been through too much and my body calls time out. Even as I struggle to stay awake, my eyelids grow heavier and heavier ….

Wolverine:

The female sleeps. I wait until her breathin' evens out, then slowly stand an' strip off my T-shirt. On quiet feet, I pad to the female's side an' drape it over her naked body, half expectin' – hoping – that she will wake an' see me there. But she slumbers on an' I return to my exact spot on the floor an' sit, resuming my vigil.

When I am sure she is deeply asleep an' not likely to wake, I pull the food tray closer an' eat my rabbit …

oooOOOooo

General Caplin was working out in his private gym when the emergency call came in from Central Control. Knowing his people were efficient and not inclined to panic, he responded immediately, hopping off the treadmill where he had been running timed laps, and moving quickly to the monitor on the wall. The face of his Control Chief greeted him.

"Ferris. Report."

"Sir, there's been an incident in one of the mutie cages. I'll patch it through to your location."

Caplin studied the image on screen for mere seconds before punching the intercom. "Hanley. Peters. My office. Ten minutes." He was about to turn away when he thought better of it and opened the channel to the medical bays. "Dr Chandra?"

A brief pause, then – "Sir?"

"An incident has been brought to my attention which I believe you will find most interesting. Be so kind as to meet me in my office in ten minutes."

"Sir."

And then he broke contact.

By the time he had changed out of the military issue tracksuit into attire more becoming a commanding officer and moved into the adjacent office, his two bewildered handlers were already waiting for him by the desk, occasionally exchanging worried glances. The more serene presence of his chief medical officer was doing nothing to ease their discomfort.

Acknowledging them all with a brief nod, Caplin moved behind the desk and brought up

the interior image for cell number 458-25-243. The two handlers' expressions went from bewildered to downright dumbstruck.

"Can either of you explain why a female I ordered to be terminated at least four hours ago is still alive and well?" Caplin asked, walking from behind the desk to fix each of his handlers with a harsh stare. "Need I remind you of the penalty for disobeying a direct order?"

"Sir! No, sir!" Hanley glanced nervously at the screen, where Wolverine was tearing animatedly into a rabbit haunch. The girl, seemingly asleep, was curled up on the floor against the wall. "I don't understand what could have gone wrong."

"We stayed just long enough to see Wolverine pin her to the floor," Peters added, hoping that honesty was their best policy. "We figured it was pretty much over after that and left before the blood started flying. I'm sorry if we were at fault, sir."

"Spare me the excuses, soldier. You're fortunate that this oversight has merely opened other doors." He shifted his attention to his medical officer. "Dr Chandra, am I right in assuming that Wolverine has never failed to kill under the effects of the aggression agent?"

"Completely, sir." Dr Chandra's eastern looks made her something of a beauty, but her love for exploratory surgery and medical experimentation – particularly on the still-living mutant subject – had isolated her from the civilian populace and made her perfect for Caplin's regime. Some called her cruel – he preferred to use the term 'efficient'. "In over sixty documented cases, Wolverine has always performed as expected when subjected to the agent."

"Until now." Caplin tapped the screen, drawing attention back to the image displayed there. "What's so different about this female that he would negate the effects of the aggressor for her?"

"Could she have some kind of mind control ability?" suggested Hanley.

Chandra shook her head. "That is highly unlikely. Mutants very rarely have two primary mutations. Mind control and, to a lesser degree, telekinesis or telepathy, yes. But not two wildly differing abilities. It goes against the very laws of mutation."

"Theories, doctor?" asked Caplin expectantly, already assuming his medical officer had an explanation or two up her sleeve.

Chandra leaned towards the screen, her dark eyes shining the way they always did when she was faced with something that intrigued her. "If I was to put forward an idea, I would say that the girl has piqued his interest. See how he's watching her, almost as if standing guard over her? It wouldn't surprise me to learn that he already views her as his."

"His? As in …. Christ, are you saying he wants to have sex with her?" Hanley couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Technically, with ferals, it would be called 'mating', but I believe that is the gist of the idea, yes." Chandra smiled around at her companions before turning back to the screen. "This is actually quite exciting. We have been trying to breed from Wolverine for years, but he has refused every female we have presented to him and artificial insemination has proved fruitless. If we could get him to accept this female naturally, there is every possibility he would sire young on her. I assume she is a valid breeder?"

"She is," confirmed Caplin, with a nod.

"Then the possibility of her producing young is entirely feasible."

"You're sure about this?" Caplin studied the screen for a moment before turning back to his CMO. "You're confident you can get results?"

Chandra frowned. "You have to understand, General, that as ferals go, Wolverine has never reacted according to type. Yes, he is volatile and unpredictable, but he is also intelligent and sly, and that makes him extremely dangerous. According to our records, he has killed at least sixteen handlers in the past fifteen years and has maimed countless members of my medical staff. He was single-handedly responsible for the massacre that almost shut down the project before it was reallocated to your capable command, General. So if Wolverine even suspects he is being manipulated in any way, he will balk and most likely kill the girl just to spite us, of that I have no doubt. However, with the right stimulus, I am confident I can obtain desirable results."

"What do you need?" Caplin was seasoned enough to know there would be conditions.

Chandra didn't disappoint. "Complete control of the project. Unlimited access to Central Control and its assigned staff. And, most importantly, unlimited resources at my disposal."

"Agreed." Caplin would have granted her the moon if he thought it would guarantee Wolverine breeding with the girl. He turned to his handlers. "The girl is now yours. Get her collared."

"We'll have to requisition one from stores," pointed out Peters.

Caplin nodded. "Noted. But get her collared first thing in the morning. I don't want any 'accidents' befalling Chandra's people. The girl is yours to control as long as the breeding project is not hindered in any way. However - " and here he turned to Chandra once more, "- the same goes for Wolverine, doctor. Do whatever you deem necessary as long as his mission capability is not compromised."

Chandra nodded. "I understand."

She turned back to the screen, her mind already ticking over with ideas to try out on her two new guinea-pigs. If all went according to plan, she hoped to see Wolverine's female heavy with his first child within six months ….

NEXT: Jubilee and Wolverine! The collar! Gosh, it's all happening in the next chapter!