CHAPTER TWO

It was now in the middle of winter, and two days away from Christmas; the festive season was in full swing. You couldn't walk down two streets without hearing the public megaphones blaring out carols about peace and goodwill towards all men. The whole of New York City was appropriately snuggled up in a blanket of snow ("Hooray, a White Christmas after all," said Jubilee) and the citizens were all getting busy preparing for the big day.

At the X-Mansion, things were no different. Much to the delight of the students, and much to the dismay of Logan, the Professor had given his permission for an Xmas party to be held. Many enthusiastic pupils had already decorated about half the school; tinsel was hung on anything that had a hook, silly string was sprayed absolutely everywhere, Christmas trees would jump out at you at each corner of the corridors. Unfortunately the students did not exclude Logan in their merrymaking, and one was almost traumatised for life when the Wolverine caught him hanging sparkly (pink) baubles all over his bedroom door.

"Whaddaya think you're doin'?! This is MY room, not Santa's Toytown!!" And he gave Pierce Hamish Mancini such a fierce glare that the poor boy almost fell off his ladder.

"Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" he kept squeaking, and he repeated himself so often that Logan gradually said, "OK, fine, apology accepted, but if you even come near this room again holding something pink and sparkly, they'll never even find your body, OK? Now scoot."

Pierce 'scooted' accordingly, and stood not upon the order of his going.

********

In the Great Hall, people were scurrying about busily, presents in their hands and gaudy hats on their heads. Teenage girls were standing underneath sprigs of mistletoe hopefully, and 8 year olds (and Bobby) were gorging themselves sick on piles of mince pies and Xmas logs they had managed to steal from the kitchens.

In the centre of the hall, the staff were fixing up the huge Christamas tree, helped by various other students. Logan stood a little way from them, a scowl on his face and his arms crossed. Christmas was not a good time for him. It made his hormones go up and down, as Jubilee would say. (Thankfully she had dropped out of Biology classes that year).

"Poor Pierce," said a voice behind him. It was Rogue, holding a Santa hat in her hands.

"He won't sleep tonight," she said, giggling, referring to his previous encounter with the almighty Wolverine.

A group of 11 year olds trooped past, singing "Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem" at the top of their lungs.

"He's not going to be the only one," said Logan darkly.

Rogue giggled again, "Oh come on, Logan," she said. "It's Christmas. Join the celebrations!" She shook her head and a pair of glittery pudding- shaped earrings sparkled and jingled.

"Bah Humbug."

"Logan!"

"Ok, fine, Ho, Ho, Ho," he conceded with very bad grace.

"That's better." She cocked her head to one side innocently. "You know, you say that so well," she said, grinning, and fingered the Santa Hat she was holding.

He glowered at her. "Don't even think about it, kid," he growled.

"But-"

"No."

"But-"

"Rogue," said Logan flatly, "No."

"No what?" Scott called down. He was wrestling with the huge golden star on top of the tree. A childish impulse had forced him to elbow the little eight year old balancing on the ladder out of the way, so that he could hang the important ornament up himself.

"The kid here wants me to dress up as Santa Claus."

"I think you should." Scott let go of the golden star very carefully, and then let out a sound of triumph and joy as it wobbled, then stayed put. He bounded down the ladder, and grinned at his nemesis.

"If you'd had a brain you'da stayed up there," said Logan, " 'cos I think we're gonna have Cyclops steak this evening."

"Well, if you don't want to be tonight's entertainment, you could at least try out for the decorating committee," said Scott, pulling out a long string of Xmas lights from a toolbox, together with an extension cord. "Here, we've done enough for tonight. It's your turn. Fix these up around the tree, and plug them in."

"I hope you've already written your suicide note…"

"Oh, do you think it's too hard, Logan?" asked Storm, joining in from behind them, and grinning. "Because if it is, we could just tell Caitlin, you know. She gave them to us as a gift, and she mentioned how complicated they were, and that she would really admire that man who'd manage to even read the instructions." Caitlin of course had not said anything of the sort. She'd said, "God, I'd really love to know the poor bugger who's going to end up with these tonight, so I could just look at him, and laugh in his face for having such a sad life." But Logan was never to know this, so grumbling and muttering, but with a secret anxious wish to impress Caitlin, he began tackling those blessed lights. Rogue flitted around him, eager to help, while Storm, Scott, and some other students hung around to watch, hungry for amusement. Well, they were going to get it.

"One flippin' light goes out, they all flippin' go out," he muttered as he plugged in a strand to see if it worked. "Could someone hand me a … a … wossname… thingy…"

"Extension cord," supplied Rogue helpfully. "Here you go."

" I knew that," grouched Logan as titters erupted around him. "Thanks." He looked ready to rumble with the lights.

"Cheer up, Logan, it's Christmas," said Scott, "A time of good cheer, peace, love and good will towards all man."

"What does it say about household appliances?" asked Logan, staring gloomily at the non- glowing lights wrapped around the huge tree.

"I wonder what presents I'm going to get for Christmas," said Bobby, gazing dreamily at Rogue, who blushed.

"A gift certificate for Castration R Us," said Logan, finally managing to plug in some lights with the help of the extension cord. "Just doin' my part to clean up the gene pool." He stood back to survey his work, and growled. "Now why the hell are they blinking??"

"Maybe," said Storm very carefully, while giggles exploded around her, "They're supposed to."

"They weren't blinking before." Logan grabbed a bunch of them off the tree, and threw them on the floor. They immediately stopped blinking. "That's better."

"You know, there's a better way to do that," said Scott.

"Fine! You're so smart, you hang up the flippin' lights!" Logan snarled, unconsciously flexing his hands, getting ready to pop his claws.

"Whoa, Logan, calm down," said Rogue, as Scott backed away in alarm. "You're going to have someone's eye out."

"Yeah, his- both of 'em."

"Yes, well, I think we've quite finished with the interior decorations for today," said Storm quickly. It just wasn't the right season for the Mansion to have a new sunroof. "Who wants to come outside to help with the exteriors?"

"Oooh, me! Oooh, pick me! Oooh, I wanna!" (That last one was from Bobby). Cries from all over the Hall could be heard, the students poured out after Storm and Scott and soon it was left empty, except for Jubilee and Logan, who was shaking his head and silently hating Christmas.

"Logan…" said Jubilee.

He put up a hand. "Kid, if it's anything got to do with my hormones I just don't wanna know," he began.

"No, no," said Jubilee. She crept up to him, and tiptoed until she was in level with his left ear.

"I think you did a great job with the lights," she whispered, and kissed him on the cheek quickly. Then she scurried quickly outside, hands at the ready for snowballs.

Logan quickly looked up to check for mistletoe. There wasn't any. So what…?

Kids, he thought, half disgustedly, half bewildered.

Before he left the Hall, he took one last glance at the tree. It was entwined with beautiful, golden tinsel, with just a hint of silver and red. The branches were bent down with all the colourful clay decorations hung on them, not to mention all the chocolate ones; most of which were already half eaten by the kids (and Bobby). The letters to Santa were carefully tied onto it as well, with red and green curly ribbons. On the very top, Scott's brilliant golden star glittered and sparkled and shone, as though it was guarding the tree. But for Logan the crowning glory were his lights, piercing as they blazed through the tree's branches, shining with every kind of red, blue, yellow, green and, yes, pink. And they weren't blinking.

"Yeah, it's Christmas," he said out loud. He stood for a while there, listening to all the shouts and screams and laughter coming from outside, and gazing at the tree. Then finally he switched off the chandeliers and went upstairs.

But his lights remained shining, penetrating the darkness with their radiance, while outside snow began to fall.

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Wow! I'm quite proud of this Chapter, actually. I don't know if some kind of divine inspiration came over me or something but I think this l'il chappie actually worked. However I'm planning to change the style in forthcoming chapters as the turning point in this fic will change everything. It will be quite serious, and kinda sad. There'll be deaths, violence, war and other stuff. But for now, please, please, please just review!!! Thanks, love y'all loads, Mwaaaa. =)