AN: I wanted a few more chapters but since the limited time I have I had to cut them. Sorry about that maybe I'll make a one shot for the deleted stuff someday or something.

X-Men Christmas

CHAPTER 6: SEASONS GREETINGS

Everywhere all over the world the X-Men were celebrating either at the mansion or at their homes. Roberto was with his family, he had come from a rich background and it showed on his family estate in Brazil. It was one of the few times his parents took time off their busy schedule to be together.

Ray had spent some of the day with Pam and her family, and had even visited the Morlocks. That hadn't lasted too long given that the Morlocks were seeing him as more an outsider these days then having been one of them. So he spent the rest of the day at the mansion.

Gale was back home in Canada with her father, it was the first time she had seen him since the day she left. She had tried to look up a few of her old friends, sadly a few weren't even taking her calls but she did find a few that still were there for her at least. Dani was with her grandfather at the reservation that he had moved too, it was great to spend time with him again.

Forge was with his parents of course after all he had a lot of missed Christmases to make up for. Rahne was with her mother Moira and she couldn't have been happier, even Theresa the mutant known as Siryn was also there with her father. She had gotten time off from X-Force and had surprised the young Scottish girl. The two had a lot of catching up to do that day.

Wanda was with Polaris and her mother this day, it had been the first family Christmas that she could remember in the longest of times. And it was very nice as well, there had suddenly been someone at the door so Wanda went to get it not seeing the hidden smile from Lorna's face. Wanda hadn't been prepared to the site that greeted her.

It was Simon from Lorna's team there with a few presents under his arms and a grin on his face. "Hey there Lorna said I could crash and I didn't have any other plans. You mind me crashing the party?"

Wanda quickly turned her head around to see Lorna trying not to laugh at the look on Wanda's face. At this point she wasn't sure if she was pissed or happy with Lorna, well she'd figure something out later as she gladly brought Simon into the house. Now it seemed that this day was getting even better for her.

Jamie was back at his place happy to see his parents and they were glad to see him too. He was very excited about being home again, although at night he did miss his friends and of course Paige too. He got to call her up a few times and that made if better for him.

Kitty's day had been pretty hectic to say the least, as it turned out trying to prepare her parents for Lockheed wasn't easy. They actually hadn't believed her until she had to show him to them, her mother nearly fainted at that point. They also had to explain a few things such as magic being real as Illyana had to give a few examples of that.

After the shocks wore off after a few hours, things got a bit better. Illyana would room with Kitty as Piotr got a spare room used for guests or family that would stop by. Both of the Russians got a first hand lesson in what Hanukah was like. They saw how the candles were lit and the prayers said, they even got to eat the food that was prepared for that day.

They all went over to Kitty's grandparents in the city too as they met up with other members of Kitty's family. Thankfully no one really minded that Kitty was a mutant, well most of the family at least. Piotr and his sister were welcomed guests as well (although they left Lockheed back at her parents' house not wanting to push her luck).

But they all had a nice time there, and Piotr at least felt that Kitty's parents didn't disapprove of him. Although there was the fact he was a bit older he at least gave an impression of being a good person and so they decided that Kitty was old enough to decide who to date at this point.

Bobby was back home with his parents, it was kind of odd at times mainly because his parents weren't sure how to deal with having a mutant child. They still loved him it was just a little awkward at times. When his mutations started to show they had been so afraid for him that there was something wrong with him. When Xavier explained things it had taken them a few days to digest it all.

But all in all despite the few moments it was good for the family to be together. Bobby was their only child after all and they wanted to try to be like it used to be given what time of the year it was. Bobby at one point was in his room listening to some music when he wondered if Jubilee had opened up her gift yet, he hoped she liked it after all it cost him a good some.

In California Jubilation Lee was with her family, they were glad to have their daughter back with them. They had been worried when they had been forced to send her back to Xavier's given they had taken her out when the mansion had been attacked. It hadn't been easy to send her away again but after how things were going for her here they had no choice.

Jubilee was having a great time being back, she caught up with her family and even managed to track down her best friend, who was the only friend she had left. At one point she found the gift Bobby had given her that day she left. She had forgotten that she had placed it under the tree and left it for last. When her parents were cleaning up Jubilee took it to her room to see what it was.

She opened up the wrapping and then the box as her eyes widened. She pulled out an elegant glass figurine. It looked like a woman dancing in the wind, smiling and full of joy. There was a card inside of it and she read it after carefully putting the figure down. "To Jubilee, saw this and thought of you. Hope you like it and Merry Christmas. Bobby." She smiled after reading the card and then looked back at the beautiful figure.

She couldn't help but smile, Bobby could be a bit immature at times but he knew how to have fun and when he actually put his mind to things he could be really sweet at times too. Jubilee couldn't wait to put this in her room at the mansion and to thank Bobby later when they saw each other again.

Warren had left the mansion the night before Christmas saying he was visiting a friend. He still hadn't talked to his parents, he had tried but after that fight they had he just couldn't do it. Every time he tried to pick up the phone it was like his arm wouldn't do it. So he went to New York to spend this time with his girlfriend Candy.

Her parents were on a cruise for the holiday, and normally she would have been a little depressed about it but given that she and Warren were back together again it made this holiday all the more sweet for them. Warren arrived to see the beautiful dark haired woman in a golden dress that ended at her thighs. "Well Merry Christmas Warren."

Warren only smiled at the sight of her, "God you look fantastic."

She smiled and led him in, taking off his heavy coat so he could get his wings out. She was comfortable with his wings, in fact she was finding that they only made Warren even better looking, making him look like some fictional angel. She then slipped her arms around his neck giving him a deep welcoming kiss which he returned eagerly. She was a great source of happiness for him lately.

"Well I hope you're hungry because I got us a nice dinner, then we can open up presents."

"Oh and can I ask what you got me?" He smirked at her and she gave him a look he had seen before.

"Well let me tell you one thing, if you're good you'll get to unwrap one of them." She gave him a wink and he just knew that what one of those little gifts would be. And it turned out to be right as well. The next morning Candy woke up in her bed reaching over to where Warren had been.

She found the area barren and she frowned looking around. She saw the messed up sheets that she pulled up against her and the clothing from the night before scattered. Candy got out and put on a robe and stopped when she smelted something. She walked through her apartment and came to see Warren in only his pants cooking breakfast. "Damn I was hoping to surprise you in bed."

She only laughed and sat down, "Breakfast in bed huh? Has anyone told you you're an angel?"

"Oddly enough yes but not in the way you do," he smiled at her.

Risman, X-23 and Logan spent the morning together as she watched her daughter open up her gift. It turned out to be a small little bear. It had been something that Risman had had when she had been a girl and had hoped that Sarah would like it. Plus there was a book there from an author Risman enjoyed knowing her daughter liked to read.

Sarah thanked her for the gifts, it didn't matter what she got it just mattered that she had been here and was trying to spend time with her. Although she also did like the gifts too. She also noticed how she spent time with Hank and saw them talking, she couldn't follow what they were talking about at times but they both seemed to enjoy each other's company.

When Kurt and Rogue got home and went to their rooms they were surprised to find a gift on each bed. For Kurt it was a strange music box, it held a tune that he knew from Germany as a child's tune. His mother had sung it to him and when he asked his parents about it they honestly had no idea where it had come from.

For Rogue it was a jewellery box in the same wooden design with a silver bracelet on the inside of it. Rogue had first thought it was another gift from Vince but he had no idea, she went to Kurt and found out about his similar styled gift. Both had no idea what was going on although Kurt had a theory but he didn't want to say it to Rogue.

He knew she'd just get angry at the possibility and so he kept his peace although he did look out his window wondering. What he couldn't see was a figure in the woods in the shadow of the trees. When the woman saw the boy move away she stepped out and in the moonlight of that night Mystique walked out. It had been a close call leaving those gifts but she had still given them.

She sighed knowing that this had been risky but then again she had to they were her children. But she had to get back soon, she only had to get back to Washington DC to her other family and once again dawn the mask of the senator's wife as Mallory Brickman. Although that wasn't too bad at least even though it was a lie she could spend a real Christmas as a real family should.

With that she disappeared once more into the shadows.

In her home Jean was with her parents and sister as they talked around the living room with hot drinks. It was so nice to see them again and to see her sister as well, in fact they had talked for over three hours when she got home catching up on any details. When she was alone in her room getting ready for bed she picked up the box that Scott had given her.

She smiled at the memory of when she had opened it the first time. She did so now as she looked again at the silver and gold object. It was a locket that had a stylized bird of some kind on it. Inside of it, it held a picture of the both of them with Scott behind her with his arms around her holding her close to him. Both of them had been smiling, she remembered that day actually that had been one the one month anniversary of when they started to date.

It was such a sweet gesture. Jean laid back into her bed wondering if she could reach out to Scott. She tried to relax as much as possible and tried with her mind, he was too far away but she then tried on their link. It was a faint pulse that was always there, the closer they were the stronger it was. But after a few minutes she could feel him.

Across the world it was still daylight out for Scott as he was sitting down with Alex as they talked and Alex was trying to get him to go out surfing with him again when he felt it. He felt Jean's mind caress his just lightly and he wondered at first if something was wrong. But the feelings he got weren't telling him that, in fact they were warm and inviting.

Then he heard her voice 'Thank you Scott,' in a slightly hush tone enter his mind. He smiled and sent back his own warm feelings and thoughts as best he could. It was comforting to know that even so far away they could still feel each other.

"Hey man you paying attention?" Alex asked him snapping him out of it.

"Yeah of course," He covered up although the link with Jean was down again he smiled wishing to see her soon. Maybe later he could try and reach her you never knew just what this link was capable of after all.

At one point Xavier went to his study to put away a few books he had been reading from his personal collection. He just got in when he noticed two gifts on his desk, when he opened the first it turned out to be a biography on Martin Luthor King Jr. A man that Xavier had remembered seeing once sadly it had been shortly before his death.

But it had been a moment that he remembered and a man he had great respect for what he had tried to do in his life. In a way Xavier modeled his own philosophy slightly to that great man's vision. He was happy with the gift and wondered who had thought of it.

The second turned out to be several photos, one was of the X-Men, another New Mutants and finally the new team X-Factor. The final one was of all of them together, each one was placed in front of the mansion and he had to wonder just how they all pulled this off. It couldn't have been easy but he still smiled at the images there.

He wheeled his way to a wall and there were a couple of photos there hanging. One was of the original team one of the few that survived the destruction of the mansion so he kept it here. One of them all after they had defeated Apocalypse, and now it would look like he had a few more to hang on his wall. Looking back at it all he never would have guest at how things had turned out but he was grateful that they had.

He turned to look out the window to see the falling snow, another year had gone by. A year of change, of hardship, of new enemies but also there was joy and happiness. New friendships, relationships and many other things, giving Xavier time to reflect on everything that had happened.

He knew that the next year would bring more of the same but at least for this moment all was peaceful and his students and even those that helped him with this school with this dream of his were all having a good time. They deserved it and sitting back he felt content with his life at the moment and with how things were going.

Sure it wouldn't last, nothing did. But that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy the moment and wish everyone under him a merry Christmas and happy new year.

THE END