Disclaimer: I don't own Jubilee, Jean-Paul or anything X-Men for that matter.

Note: This is a request fic for Hollymahogany. Merry Christmas, Erica, .

I'll Take That Bet

It was only eleven o'clock in the morning, and already Jean-Paul could hear the busy hustle and bustle of the mansions other residence outside of his office. The other teachers and faculty rushed about the mansion finishing up with last minute decorations. The student body rushed about the mansion in giddy, almost orgasmic anticipation of the party to come. Christmas eve was always a busy twenty four hours at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. Too busy for his liking. Watching those teenagers on a normal days' basis was enough to drive him up the wall sometimes. He couldn't bring himself to play "babysitter" today, not with all of the excitement bubbling up in their young bodies. He had declined any suggestion that he help with the last minute decorating, saying he had a lot of work to do. Though that even made Scott-permanent-stick-up-his-arse-Summers give him a look that branded him this year's "Scrooge".

The sound of a body colliding with his office door made Jean-Paul look up from his paper work. "That was cold, Drake!" Jubilation Lee's voice hollared loudly from the other side of the door. Quickly her shout was followed by a chorus of laughter, led by Bobby's loud whooping. Jean-Paul sighed and leaned back in his office chair as he listened to the comotion going on just beyond the feeble door that led into his sanctuary.

Jean-Paul could hear the sound of clumsy hands groping at his doorknob. "Bobby, get rid o' the ice!" Jubilee shouted, though it didn't take much to pick up on the laughter that was begging to come out.

"Why?" Bobby's teasing voice came from further down the hall. He was almost sing songing.

Pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment, Jean-Paul sighed heavily then stood up. Enough was enough. He hadn't planned on babysitting for this exact reason; out of control, immature mutants running amuck everywhere. Taking quick strides, Jean-Paul reached his desination, his door. Without hesitation, he unlocked the door and opened it, sending a surprised Jubilee forward to collide with his chest.

Jubilee held onto Jean-Paul's shirt as she tried to regain her footing once again. Jean-Paul looked at the youngest X-Man, then down the hall in the Iceman's direction. "Icing the halls again, Drake?" Jean-Paul drawled out dully, wrinkling his nose in annoyance.

"Uh... no?" Bobby offered with a sheepish grin on his icy face.

Jean-Paul had the urge to let a small, amused grin claim his lips. But now was not the time to flirt the object of his affection, now was the time to take charge and be the responsible adult. "Are you not supposed to be decorating with the others?" He kept his expression dull and unamused.

"Uh... no?" The sheepish grin grew into a broad and mischievious one.

"Oh you lie, Drake!" Jubilee suddenly said. She had finally regained her footing, though she still clutched onto Jean-Paul for support. Just in case.

"Miss Lee is, for once, right. If you don't wish to be directing Danger Room sessions for a week, you'll stop fooling around and get back to work, Bobby." Jean-Paul continued to give Bobby that same dull and unamused look, with a matching tone of voice now.

Bobby frowned, icy eyes taking a puppy dog look. Jean-Paul rolled his eyes, "won't work. Try showing off your puppy dog eyes to Hank, or maybe Emma, and then see if you can worm your way out of being an adult for now." A small smirk spread on the Northstar's face. It was almost smug.

"Oh, burn." Jubilee grinned wickedly at Bobby.

"I thought you were on my side," Bobby glared at Jubilee.

"I was. But then J.P spat that wickedness out. So, now I'm on his side." She smiled smugly, fisting her hands onto her hips for a moment. She then quickly had to hold onto Jean-Paul's arm again when she felt her footing about to give out again.

"You little trai-"

"Enough!" Jean-Paul interuppted the growing arguement. "Rober', go decorate. Jubilation, go... do whatever it is you're supposed to be doing." Jubilee didn't move. Jean-Paul sighed.

Bobby blinked, then gave a mock salute. "Yes sir, Mr. Northstar, sir!" Bobby knew better than to push Jean-Paul any more. And besides, Jubilee wouldn't cling onto him forever.

"Un instant, enfant..." Jean-Paul called after Bobby before he could turn around and walk away.

"And how may I help you?" Bobby almost chirped. The holiday got to him as much as it did the children.

"The ice. Get rid of it." The Canadian mutant smirked a little, motioning to the ice that covered more than half of the hallway. Bobby gave a salute again, held out his hand and effectively 'defrosted' the hallway.

"Anything else I can do for you?" Bobby offered, once again just procrastinating. Delaying the 'hard work' that awaited him in the ballroom.

"Oui. Get your butt in gear and go help the others, Chilly Willy." Jean-Paul said all too calmly. Bobby wrinkled his nose then slumped his shoulders. He hated 'working'. The Iceman gave an overdramatic sigh before walking off in mock despair. Jean-Paul sighed again and rolled his eyes.

When Jean-Paul turned around, Jubilee let go of his shirt. As Jean-Paul headed back into his office, Jubilee stopped his door from closing using her foot. When he didn't hear the latch of his door catch, Jean-Paul turned around and cocked an eyebrow at the youngest X-Man. Casually, Jubilee let herself in.

"Ms. Lee-"

"Jubilee." Jubilee corrected the older male, fisting a hand on her hip as she walked into the office and looked around. "Wow, so this is what your office looks like." The place was so neat and clean, it could probably even put Scott's tidy office to shame.

Jean-Paul sighed, "Jubilee, get out of my office. I have work to do. And didn't I tell you to go do whatever it was you had to do?"

Jubilee spun on her heel and smiled innocently up at the Canadian."I am doing whatever it is I have to do."

He brought a hand up and ran it over his face. "Get out." He mumbled through clenched teeth.

"Why aren't you helpin' everyone else decorate an' stuff?" Jubilee ask, completely ignoring his command.

"I told you before, I am busy. I have paper work to do. Things to grade. Now please, get out." He tried to keep his tone in check as he walked around her, sitting back into his chair. The chair gave a groan as his weight was seated into it.

Jubilee wrinkled her nose. "No one's ever 'busy' on Christmas. You're just being an old, stuck up fart."

Jean-Paul shifted through some of the papers on his desk. "I resent that remark."

"You're so totally just making yourself look busy so you don't have to be out there with everyone else," she snickered. "Come on, Scott said everyone had to help decorate and stuff today. If I gotta do stuff, then so do you."

"I informed Scott I had things to take care of. I was relieved of my decorating duties."

"Pssh. Puh-lease. Even Annie said you're being a Scrooge." Jubilee rolled her bright blue eyes, smirking at the older male.

"Miss Lee," Jean-Paul's tone was firm and stressed. "I'm not going to help with the decorations. Nor will I be attending tonight's party in the ballroom. I'm far too busy."

"It's Jubilee," Jubilee stated again. And she thought Bobby had a thick head...

"Jubilee," Jean-Paul corrected himself once again.

She frowned now. "You won't be going at all?"

"Non. Not at all. Now, can you please leave?" He let out a frustrated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose again.

Jubilee crossed her arms over her chest. Anyone who lived in the X-Mansion should have known the sparkler didn't take "no" for an answer, ever. Again, she ignored the fact that Jean-Paul wanted her to leave the room. She tilted her head to the side and looked up at the ceiling, thinking.

"Jubilee. Jubilee, what are you doing?" Jean-Paul asked after a moment, eyebrow cocked curiously.

"Plotting." She replied casually. "Hush."

He sighed heavily again and stood up. If she wouldn't leave on her own accord, he'd make her leave on his. "Alright, plot. But do it away from me, and stop skating around the fact I want you out of my office." He grumbled while placing both hands onto her shoulders from behind.

"That's it!" She shrieked with glee, causing Jean-Paul to let go of her young shoulders.

"What is it?" He asked cautiously.

Jubilee spun on her heel to look at the older Canadian again. "I'll make you a bet. If you lose, you have to go to the Christmas party tonight, and do a little something for me. If I lose... I'll... do your paper work for all of next term." She offered smugly. Though, there were chances she would lose, and that scared her. She could barely stand doing her own school work, nevermind doing a teacher's.

Despite the fact he should have known better, Jean-Paul's curiousity was being toyed with now. Not to mention he could never turn down a challenge. Sighing and instantly regretting this, he spoke, "alright. What are we betting?"

"A no powers game of one-on-one outdoor hockey." She stated simply. "Best two out of three goals. That way it's short and sweet, not dragged out or nothin'."

Jean-Paul thought this suggestion over for a moment, then gave her a short, quick node. "D'accord."

Jubilee blinked. "Da-wha-?"

He rolled his eyes and let a small chuckle escape him. Gambit's french lessons weren't helping the girl one bit. "I said 'ok'."

"Great!" She squealed and hugged him tightly. "Bobby made a rink out in the courtyard this morning. Meet me there in ten minutes. I'll go get the sticks, puck and skates. You wear an eight and a half right?" She babbled on, almost bouncing in place. Jean-Paul nodded dumbly, processing what she said slowly. Jubilee hugged him again, then quickly left his office, running off to the sport's equipment room.

Jean-Paul groaned inwardly after a moment, damning his pride. He assured himself it wasn't as bad as he was making it out to be. It was a simple game of hockey. One he would win of course, he was at least certain of that.

"I knew you couldn't resist the hockey," Jubilee said as she finished tying her skate. "I mean, you are Canadian. Liking hockey for you must be, like, second nature or something." She giggled and smirked at Jean-Paul who was already out on the ice, waiting impatiently for her. Jean-Paul looked unamused.

Jubilee stood, picked up the hockey sticks and made her way onto the ice, "your face is gonna get stuck that way." She mumbled as she nudged the puck with her skate. She tossed Jean-Paul his stick.

The Northstar caught the hockey stick with ease and watched the puck slide ever so slowly across the ice. "You're not the first to tell me that. I've yet to see any truth in that." He almost grinned as he stopped the puck with his blade of his stick.

"Oh hush," she huffed. What fun was insulting someone if it didn't even work? "Let's just start the game." Jubilee pushed off with her skate, making her way over to Jean-Paul quickly.

Jean-Paul watched the youngest X-Man come at him. When the blade of her stick reached out to steal the puck away from him, he shifted on his skates and moved away from her. Jubilee wasted no time in following after him; spending most of her time on rollerblades back in L.A, zigging and zagging on a daily basis had indeed given her some definite skills in skating mobility. Ice or concrete, blades or wheels, it made no difference to her.

As Jean-Paul made a move to turn around on the ice again, heading for Jubilee's net, Jubilee caught the puck and stole it away. She heard Jean-Paul mumble his famous "calvasse" as she headed straight for her opponent's net. There was a sudden crack of wood hitting hard rubber, quickly followed by a prideful, "ha."

Jean-Paul mumbled as he watched Jubilee fetch the puck out of the net. "That was nothing more than a fluke. A lucky shot."

"Naaah. It's skills. Pure skills, dude." She giggled and gave the puck a soft slap with her stick, sending it in Jean-Paul's direction. "Stop talkin' and start playin'," she grinned at him, pushing off once more to go after the puck.

"Getting cocky, aren't we, Ms Lee?" said Jean-Paul as he swirved around the young woman, easily snatching the puck away from her this time. "Arrogance is usually a downfall," he mused as he skated down the other end of the rink, heading for her net.

"Look who's talkin, bub!" She almost shrieked as she took off at a speed that could have made the mighty Quicksilver proud. "You're, like, the most arrogant person at Xaviers!" She attempted to steal the puck back once she caught up with the Canadian.

Jean-Paul gave a mock gasp of offense, fighting back the grin that tugged so hard at his lips. "Moi?" He shifted his stick, moving the puck from one side to another. Anything to keep it away from Jubilee. "I think not." He gave the younger girl a gentle shove, sending her off balance.

Through gravity, Jubilee and the ice-rink became quickly aqquanted. "Oh, I think so," she huffed and watched the Northstar slap the puck across the ice and land it right into the net.

Without turning around or showing any appreciation he just scored a goal, Jean-Paul fetched the puck from the net. "Your words wound me, Ms Lee."

"Jubilee," the Chinese-American hissed as she hoisted herself up and brushed off her pants of any icy powder.

"Right," Jean-Paul corrected himself once again, a smirk on his proud features. "Well, we appear to have a tie." He played the puck around with his stick while speaking.

Jubilee let an almost feral grin spread across her face. "Well, we better break it then, huh?" She took off again, going at Northstar before he could even try to move the puck out of her range. With the puck against the blade of her stick, and Jean-Paul now hot on her heels, Jubilee picked up her speed and suddenly gave a sharp turn. Powder from the ice flashed up as her skates cut against the surface and she started to circle around the rink again.

Jean-Paul finally let the grin appear on his face. She was good, he'd give her that. She gave him a challenge. He skidded to a halt and took off after her once more, stick held out, ready to steal the puck away and win him this game.

Jubilee grinned wickedly at him over her should, and suddenly stopped. She pushed off again, swirving around Jean-Paul with utmost ease. Jean-Paul turned in time to hear a loud crack. Jubilee had hit the puck just after she was past him, sending it flying down the center of the rink and into the net. A cold, dull expression claimed his face. Had he...just lost?

Meanwhile Jubilee was doing a small victory dance on the ice. When her celebration was finished, she skated up to Jean-Paul with an innocent smile on my face. "Looks like you're coming to the party. And...you still have to do that little something for me..."

Jean-Paul was definitely not amused at the moment. But a bet was a bet. "Which would be?"

"Someone kill me now." Jean-Paul sighed as he stood in front of his bedroom door. It was closed, and he really didn't feel like opening it. That would be exposing himself... like this.

"Die after tonight, please? I promised Scott I'd get someone to do this, and if someone doesn't show up, I'll be toast!" Jubilee whined as she clung onto Jean-Paul's side, at the same time urging him to open the door.

"It was unfair of you to keep this from me until after I made the bet." He huffed, crossing his arms.

"And it was unfair of you to be a bigger Humbug than Logan!" She whined still, pushing him now. He barely budged. She sighed and reached around him for the doorknob.

"I'm not going out there like this." He stated and grabbed her hand. He'd sooner die than let his pride and ego be stripped away from his being. No way in hell was he going out there dressed like... like this!

Jubilee scowled. "Come on, Annie's Mrs Claus! She needs her Santa." She started to push at him again, holding onto the fluffy white trim of his red suit.

"Why couldn't Alex be Santa?" Jean-Paul sighed as he reached for the doorknob finally. There was no way he could get out of this now.

"Because he's got a stick up his arse too. He's a Summers, after all." She pushed him a little more, making him take hold of the doorknob. The object of his demise. "Annie said he said he was too busy. Buying things for the party an' stuff."

The doorknob turned, Jean-Paul sighed. Jubilee reached up and adjusted the beard he wore. "I will get you back for this, Jubilee."

"I don't doubt it." She chirped happily as the door was opened and the Mansion's "Santa" stepped out into the halls. "So... can I expect you to help with the Valentine's day dance when that time comes 'round?" She leered at him almost evilly.

"Ohh, I think not." He mumbled, ignoring the hysteric students they passed in the hallways.

Jubilee smirked. "Wanna bet?"

-End