Even though things definitely got better, some changes took more time than others. Lily was slowly finding her way back to normal, with the help of her friends, and Shawn. But some things were still not perfect, one of them being her sleep schedule. After weeks of sleeping most of the day, and then sleeping on and off whenever she felt like it, and staying up at nights, she couldn't really decide when she felt sleepy anymore. Right now, she didn't.
This is how Lily ended up wandering the hallways of the Mansion at 2am with a mug of hot tea in her hands, dressed in her sleepwear. The Mansion was quiet, fillet with the soft sounds of many people sleeping; under some doors, there was light, but most of them looked dark.
There was a sound from the end of the hallway. Someone was definitely up, doing something that included music. Lily tried to remember who lived in that room, but she couldn't; she spent too much time away, and then alone, to keep up with the constant in-an-out flow of Mansion residents. Following the voice, she waked up to the door, and listened. It sounded familiar. Looking around, she observed that the rooms nearby must have been unoccupied - or said someone just didn't care about disturbing the sleep of others.
That, and the voice.
Juka?
Lily nudged the door open, to peek inside. Curiosity, once again, got the best of her.

Lately Juka had been so preoccupied with his recent desire to become a vigilante super hero that he had been neglecting at last forming his band and neglecting as well the practice that was so dearly necessary if he was to be up to his best when he finally did begin performing again. It was the drummer that he still needed to find and until he found that final band member he wasn't able to practice with the band as a whole. That wasn't going to stop him from practicing entirely, however, which is why he currently found himself in his room at somewhere around 2 am singing to himself.

The material was new,s tuff that he had never before performed in front of a live audience. A new band meant that he must have new material and, in his opinion anyway, it was coming along rather nicely. He was so engrossed in his singing, trying to perfect his voice because perfecting was all that was acceptable, that he didn't even notice that Jewel had opened the door a crack to peek in on him until he had finished the song and looked up.

"Jewel!" He posatively sqeaked his bestest friend's name as he leaped to his feet, threw open the door and squezed her in a tight bear hug. "My darling Jewelly you're back! How was it? I was going to float all the way there and rescue you but then there was Cthulu and then I had to become a super hero and then I started getting a new band together and now you're here!" He paused for breath, realizing just then that she was holding a mug of tea. "Um...I hope I didn't spill any of that." He grinned sheepishly.

However stealthy she was trying to be, Juka noticed her. Lily let out a surprised squeak as her friend pulled her into the bear hug; she held out the mug in one hand, trying not to spill hot tea on either of them. Juka was talking, fast and excited as he usually did, and Lily found out she didn't mind at all. After the long time of moping, some color was all she needed.
"Good to see you too, hun" she smiled, setting the tea down on the nearest flat surface before returning the hug "I missed you."
It was true. In his own weird childish way Juka was one of her best friends, and friends were all she thought about, back in Romania.
When she finally untangled herself from the hug, Lily walked over to the bed to sit, carrying her tea with her.
"So, I see you can't sleep either." she chuckled, looking around "How long have you been staying in the Mansion?" she looked back at him "And what else did I miss?"
She knew exactly that was all Juka would need to start telling stories. That's why she asked.

"I missed you."

Juka felt all warm and fuzzy inside. He was missed and he had missed his pretty Jewel also. Even with all of the recent excitement in his life, too much excitement at times, it still felt good to be appreicated and wanted.

"So, I see you can't sleep either."

"Um, I don't really sleep any more," Juka said a little sheepishly. Now that was something to be explained and he wasn't exactly sure where to begin. "You remember when I got stuck in my bubble after Aura attacked me? Well, its kind of gained some...new properties. Like the fact that I no longer have to sleep or eat or drink. Weird huh?" Actually it seemed to do other things also but he hadn't quite figured out what those other things were, except that they somehow affected how time worked on objects. For that matter, he didn't really understand how his bubble was affecting he need for sleep or sustinence either, it just sort of happened. Maybe one day. Hopefully.

"How long have you been staying in the Mansion? And what else did I miss?"

"Oh, I'm just here when I'm bored," Juka assured Jewel. "I still have my appartment but I'm kind of in training now. I need to become a proper hero, you see." He could almost be seen to puff up with importance. "Did you hear about Cthulu? We battled a giant clay Cthulu monster. S cariest thing I ever saw but it was defeated and I'm sure we saved many lives." It was said with a rare pride that went beyond his usual sense of self importance. "What about you? What did I miss over in Romania?"

Oh, Juka had lots of news. Lily listened to all of them, letting him speak as she sipped her tea; it was all too much and too fast to sink in at once, and when in started to it still made her choke on her tea.
"Aura attacked you?!" she asked, eyes wide. Her last memory of the three of them was going shopping together; sure Aura was weird enough and didn't know anything about the world, but she didn't look like she wanted to hurt Juka...
"Poor baby." she shook her head, not really showing if it was meant for Juka, or Aura, or both of them. She was also surprised by the fact that he didn't eat or sleep anymore.
"So, a proprer hero, huh?" she smiled "Are young to join the team too? That would be..." she couldn't really say what that would be. A surprise? Juka was enthusiastic about a lot of things at one point or another, there was no telling how serious he was about the role of a 'hero'.
"What about you? What did I miss over in Romania?"
"Nothing." she answered quickly. It was true, there was nothing there she wished for Juka to experience. "It was a success, I guess, we helped a lot of people..." she looked down into her tea "But most of us had to pay a price for it."
Lily shook her head again and smiled, waving the bad thouhts away "So, you are singing again?"

"Aura attacked you?!"

Juka nodded sadly, having completely forgotten that Jewel had all ready left at the time that Aura almost killed him. "It was horrible, Jewel," he said in rare seriousness. "She killed someone and I tried to stop her from killing someone else and she turned on me, stabbing me with her aura blade. I think I almost died but my bubble somehow saved me. I was stuck in it for almost a month." He grimaced at the memory. It wasn't exactly the best time in his life. "But I think in the long run it was good because it showed those things that really matter to me, I mean really matter. It showed me that I want to make a difference in the world, and not just the difference of entertaining people."

"So, a proprer hero, huh? Are young to join the team too? That would be..."

Juka nodded and grinned, his usual enthusiasm back in full force. He was, after all, still Juka and was able to block out his own past unhappinesses at a moment's notice, so long as there was something more interesting to focus on. "I know what you're thinking Jewelly, that I'm not really serious and I 'll just get bored with it in a bit, but I won't. I'm going to join the X-men and make a difference in the world. I did tell you that I helped defeat Cthulu right? And I now have anvils."

"It was a success, I guess, we helped a lot of people..." she looked down into her tea "But most of us had to pay a price for it. So, you are singing again?"

Juka could tell that there was more to what Jewel was saying, that something bad had happened while she was over there but his job was to make her feel better not to bring up sore memories so he kept quiet about his curiosity. If she needed to talk he would listen and help as he could but otherwise he would just try and make her feel happy. "I am singing again," he agreed. "The band's not complete yet, but we're working on it. You woudln't happen to know a good drummer would you?"

"I know what you're thinking Jewelly, that I'm not really serious and I 'll just get bored with it in a bit, but I won't. I'm going to join the X-men and make a difference in the world. I did tell you that I helped defeat Cthulu right? And I now have anvils."
Lily blushed, and smiled at her friend. She didn't really have any reason to doubt him. The sheer force of Juka's enthusiasm could take him anywhere as long as he wanted to go.
"I think it's great that you want to do this." she nodded "I mean, I am not exactly better suited to be an X-man than you are, and yet, here I am." she grinned
"I am singing again. The band's not complete yet, but we're working on it. You woudln't happen to know a good drummer would you?"
"Umm..." Jewel wrinkled her nose, tapping her lips with a finger as she thought about it "Nope, not really. Sorry. But." she tilted her head "I expect V.I.P. tickets to your first concert."
And she was serious about that.
"Who else in in your band?"

Juka was glad of the support that Jewel offered him. Not that he wouldn't have gone along with his plan regardless, but it was nice to know that someone believed in him regardless. "And I am posative you will make a wonderful X-man," Juka assured his friend.

"As for who's in my band, well, that's kind of a surprise. Lets just say its an all mutant band and when we get on stage it is going to be something truly spectacular to behold." As if Juka being involved in something could be anything less than spectacular, but he was pretty sure that this was going to be even more spectacular than usual. "And of course you get VIP tickets, dearest, how could you even think I'd do otherwise?" he scolded good naturedely.

Lily chuckled and finished her tea. "I'll hold you to your word. I bet it's going to be spectacular."
Anything that involved Juka, music and mutants couldn't be anything less then spectacular.
It was fun, talking to Juka again. Hanging out in his room. In the middle of the night. Lily felt at home here, in the Mansion, with her friends, and it finally felt like she was living a normal life once again.
"So, did you have the tryouts already? For the X-team, I mean." she grinned "Mine were really... um, interesting."
Not to mention scary. And difficult. And, kinda, fun. And it brought the team together. Talking about the team..
"Oh. Guess what." she beamed at her friend. Then she waited for the guess. It wouldn't have been fun otherwise.

"So, did you have the tryouts already? For the X-team, I mean." she grinned "Mine were really... um, interesting."

"Not yet, I'm afraid,but I'm sure I'll have them soon. I'm not really sure who to talk to about joining them. I met some great people though, Cafas and Saphiras. Saph even lets me hit him with my anvils, seems to supercharge him or something. Have you ever gotten to hit someone with an anvil before? No? Well, you have no idea how satisfying it is! Especially when they actually tell you to hit them and then get all scary and powerful!"

And Saph really was intimidating when he was all charged with energy, or at least he would be intimidating if he wasn't counted among Juka's friends. Well, in all honesty Juka counted most people he met among his friends, as long as they didn't try to kill him first or something, but he was pretty sure that Saph actually felt the same way. Either that, or he really was just the horrible masochist Juka accused him of being.

"Oh. Guess what."

Juka frowned in deep concentration, trying to figure out what his friend could be so very excited about. "You finally got yourself a puppy dog?" Seemed as good a guess as any.

Lily never thought about hitting anyone with anvils. Not even in the camps. But the way Juka said it, it sounded something similar to, let's say, blowing soap bubbles.
Mutants are interesting people...
"You finally got yourself a puppy dog?"
Lily shook her head and grinned at her friend.
"Nah. Something even better." she wrinkled her nose and giggled "Kind of like a puppy dog, though."

Juka grinned at Jewel, mind rushing. There was only one thing that was kind of like a puppy dog that might make her that excited and that was a boyfriend. Had his little Jewelly found herself a guy? Juka managed to restrain his sqeak of happy excitement until his suspicions were confirmed.

"Did you go and find yourself a special someone?" Juka asked. Squeak might have been restrained (for now at least) but grin was most certainly not. Now, if only Juka could find himself a special someone of his own, then he and Jewel could go on double dates with their respective someones. Wouldn't that be fun? He wondered if his Prince Venus would be up for it.

"Did you go and find yourself a special someone?"
Lily blushed. Of course Juka guessed right. He was good at that. Besides, there are not that many things that can compete with having a puppy dog.
"Yes, I did." she smiled, looking down shyly "You remember Shawn? I introduced you at Ghost's wedding."
She didn't mention the fact that Juka hit on Streak at the wedding party. It wasn't important, besides, he probably hit on quite a few people at any party, so it wouldn't help him remember either.
"We kinda... well, got together in the middle of the whole chaos in Romania." she chuckled "Wanna know a secret?" she grinned at Juka, leaning closer to whisper "I was very drunk..."

Now that the whole special boy theory was officially confirmed, Juka let out the excited squeak that he was trying ever to hard to keep in and jumped and gave Jewel another big hug. "You wonderfull lucky girl. I don't have to tell you how happy I am for you, darling, if maybe just the teeniest big jealous of your good fortune." His glowing mirthful eyes belied the words however. He really was happy for her.

"Now of course I remember Shawn, but now that he's officially important you must let me meet him properly. And maybe I can even find someone and we can go on a double date. Wouldn't that be just about the funnest thing ever?" He winked at her. "And I promise to be well behaved even."

Lily laughed as Juka hugged her, he seemed to be truly happy about the news. This was friendship at its best, sharing things and being happy for each other.
She couldn't help but wonder what Juka meant by 'meet him properly'. He said he remembered Shawn, and Lily was pretty sure Shawn remembered Juka too. Her unusual friend made him more than a bit worried at the wedding about relationships and intentions and all that stuff. The memory still made Jewel grin.
Laughing at your boyfriend's expense? Fair game.
".... And maybe I can even find someone and we can go on a double date. Wouldn't that be just about the funnest thing ever?"
Double date. With Juka. And Shawn. And Juka's significant other. Lily's smile wavered for a split second, wondering if it really was as good an idea as Juka thought. Of course, she didn't know who the significant other was. Or would be. She might be a nice girl... or she might not be a girl at all.
If it was only her, Lily would have agreed, she didn't mind Juka's company, and she was pretty sure anyone who liked him would be fun to know.
"I'll talk to Shawn about it" she answered very diplomatically, but with the same bright smile "Have you found someone you'd like to go out with?"