Marie sat in the car looking out on the house she had spent most of her childhood in. Blanketed by thick layers of snow the house seemed to sparkle.
Marie smiled to herself remembering long walks in the park with Irene watching the birds and playing on the swings with the other girls.
Thinking about each winter she had spent with Irene and all the memories they had made together.
Slipping out of the car she made her way along the path up to the house tapping lightly on it twice.
After a couple of minutes the door swung open to reveal a small woman with short brown hair.
Marie smiled happily to see her mother again after four months.
"Hi ma" Rogue said happily.
"Good morning Marie please come in," Irene said sweetly moving aside to let her daughter in.
Marie walked into the living room.
"So what have you been…?" Marie was about to finish when she noticed a woman sitting in the living room drinking a cup of tea.
"Who is this?" rogue asked her mother curiously.
"Oh I forgot, its okay Raven" Irene replied smiling over at the stranger.
Unexpectedly the stranger changed into Mystique.
"Aw gawd if ah new she was here ah would have come tomorraw" Rogue stated immediately.
"No need I was just leaving" Raven replied angrily getting up from her seat.
"Now that's enough both of you, cant I have one day with my family, I want both of you here not one at a time" Irene said.
Raven sat back down as Marie walked over to sit down beside Irene.
"So Rogue how did you do on your exams" Irene asked trying to start up a conversation.
"Okay I guess," replied Rogue.
"That's good isn't it Raven?" Irene prodded raven to join in.
"Yes well done Marie" Raven said before turning to look out the window.
Irene looked at Marie then back at Raven.
"Thanks" stated Rogue nervously.
"Well why don't I put on another cup of tea" Irene asked getting up off her seat to collect Ravens now empty cup.
"That sounds nice, thank you Irene" Raven answered politely.
"Ill help you" Marie interjected.
They both headed for the kitchen once there Irene put the kettle on then turned back to Rogue.
"Listen Rogue I know you're still angry with your mother and you have every right to be but please for today try and get along please?" her mother asked.
"Fahne but just for today, just for you" she added.
Hearing the kettle click Irene turned to pour the tea, Marie walked over to the cup holder and pulled off another cup.
Marie lifted up the tray ready to go back in as the telephone rang.
Irene walked over to the phone holding it up to her ear.
"Yes this is Irene Adler who is this," she asked through the phone.
"Irene this is Sarah, Michael is having a fit again and we need you to come and calm him down" the woman said.
"Alright ill be over in minute bye for now" Irene put the phone down breathing in quickly she turned to Marie.
"I have to go see if he's okay, ill be back in an hour, SO BE NICE"
"Oh come on mama you cant leave mah wi her" Rogue moaned.
"I have no choice I have to go Im sorry" Irene whispered walking to the door grabbing her coat and then she was gone.
Sitting back down in the living room Marie looked out the window glancing back at her other mother a few times before letting out a deep breath.
"So what do we do now" Raven asked politely.
"I don't know I guess we could go out back and do something, like build a snow man or something," Marie suggested quietly.
"Sure lets try it" Raven replied rising from her seat.
The both made their way through the house to the back door.
Grabbing the handle firmly Marie twisted it shoving the door open.
A gust of wind greeted them along with the feeling of ice-cold chill.
Both women took one look at each other.
"Coats, gloves and scarves" they said in unison.
Finding enough scarves gloves and coats for both of them they wrapped themselves up before stepping out into the cold winters day.
Once outside they started rolling up the snow to make the snowman.
Suddenly Marie was hit in the back of the head by a large chunk of snow turning around to scold the person she noticed Raven smiling wickedly forming another snowball in her hands.
"Oh you think that's funny do you" Marie stated forming her own snowball, throwing it as hard as she cold it hit Mystique right in the face knocking the metamorph to the ground.
"Ow that was nasty" Raven hollered standing up while rubbing her soar back.
"Well you started it and now Im going to finish it" Marie exclaimed pulling a huge snowball from behind her back.
"You wouldn't dare" Raven stated nervously.
"Oh wouldn't I?" Marie said rhetorically aiming the large snowball at Raven.
Hurling it with all her might it was heading straight for raven at the last second Raven ducked.
The snowball went whizzing by Mystique smacking into someone stupid enough to stand behind her.
"What was that you weren't supposed to duck?" Marie yelled over the wind.
"Oh yeah I was going to let it hit me" Raven yelled back.
"What did it hit?" Rogue asked.
"Not what, who" Raven replied gazing over at the stranger.
Rogue looked over at the spot mystique was looking at a grin spread across her face.
Slowly the grin disappeared when she recognised the stranger.
"Hi mama what are you doing back" Marie asked sheepishly.
Destiny stood before them a large chunk of snow covering half her face the other half was turned up in an angry scowl.
Wiping the snow from her face destiny brought her hands to her side clenched in anger.
"I forgot my gloves and I tried knocking on the front door but nobody answered I come out the back and the next thing I know Im getting smacked in the face by a snowball" she stated.
"Who threw it?" she asked growing calmer by each passing moment.
"Rogue threw it" Raven accused weakly.
"But you ducked" Rogue retorted angrily.
"Oh yeah" Raven countered.
"Yeah" Rogue replied forming another snowball.
"Oh god here we go again" Destiny muttered ducking for cover as the fight resumed.
After a couple of minutes the two women managed to draw Irene into the fight.
The war carried on for about an hour until Irene was covered in snow and all three women were freezing.
Returning to the living room, Raven started a fire while Irene made some tea.
The girls decided to rest in front of the fire; sitting down on the carpet Marie smiled loving how good it felt to have fun with a proper family.
She hated Raven, hated her a lot but a part of her, a small part still wanted that happy family she dreamt about, after all she deserved it didn't she.
Looking up at the clock she noticed the time.
"Oh I better get going lots of school work to do tomorrow" rogue stated handing Irene her empty cup.
"Thanks for coming" Irene added.
Hugging Irene firmly Rogue leant in to her shoulder.
"Thanks for convincing me to stay" Marie whispered.
Smiling Irene released her daughter.
"Goodnight mama Irene"
"Yes goodnight Irene" Raven said opening the front door.
"Good night Marie, Raven" Irene replied closing the door.
Walking out together they separated to find they're cars just as raven was about to walk away she turned back to her daughter.
"Goodnight Marie" Raven called.
"Goodnight Raven" Marie added heading for her car.
"Merry Christmas" Raven added hoping Rogue would hear.
Once Marie reached her car she climbed in pushing the key into the ignition.
"Merry Christmas mama" she whispered into the air.