A/N: So, I've finally gotten this chapter out. It's out of season, but I don't care. I'm just glad I've cleared this particular hurdle. School's out in a couple weeks, so I'll be writing more then (hopefully).
Chapter 25 – The Giving of Gifts
I was rudely awoken on December 25th by a high, loud voice.
"Get up! Get up! It's Christmas, and Santa left us presents! Get up!"
I opened my eyes blearily and stared at the source of the noise. A boy, probably about six years old, was standing at the end of my bed, almost jumping up and down with excitement. "Uh?" I asked stupidly. I glanced at the digital clock behind me – 5:34 AM. But then, it was Christmas.
Sighing, I pulled myself out of bed and shooed the boy – who had sky-colored skin, I now noticed – out of my room. I grabbed my bathrobe from the closet and pulled it on over my Scottie-dog pajamas. Then I opened the door, walked down the hall, and trudged rather sleepily down the stairs.
Once I got into the living room, I was wide awake. Every child below the age of ten was gathered around the enormous Christmas tree, hunting through the presents trying to find the ones with their names on them. I smiled, watching the kids ripping the paper off presents and showing off their new toys. I sat down against the wall by the door, just wanting to watch the little kids.
"Fancy seeing you here," Chris said, plunking himself down beside me. His wings were drawn up around his body, and there were goosebumps on his arms. "So, were you jumped on by some crazy little kid that was yelling about Santa Claus?"
I snorted. "Just screamed at." I pulled my knees up to my chest and hugged them, still watching the kids' wild present-opening. "I remember when I had that much enthusiasm."
Chris made a face. "I do too. Remember how we used to go and wake up our parents at five o'clock?" He stopped. There was a long silence. This was the first Christmas away from our parents. It hurt, not having our family happy around the Christmas tree, with the miniature stable with baby Jesus and the Virgin Mary and Joseph on the center of the kitchen table. I bit my lip. I didn't want to start crying. I hadn't really missed Mom and Dad this much since we had left. It was just…Christmas was supposed to be a time for family…
Slowly, the living room filled up with people. The rest of the X-Kids (still makes me shudder) came in about ten minutes after me and took over one of the sofas. Logan and Rogue meandered in soon after that and sat down against the wall opposite us. Storm came in behind them, and she stationed herself by the tree to oversee the present-opening with Professor Xavier.
The kids were almost done by the time Basil came in. He looked sleepy and grumpy, and he sat down against the doorframe, closing his eyes. The last person in was Scott, looking as lonely and lost as ever. He looked around, saw Storm and the Professor, and walked slowly over to them, trying to smile at the kids but failing miserably.
Now it was the older kids' turn to open their presents. To begin with, we were rather organized, picking up presents and handing them to each other. However, after a minute or so, we turned into little kids again, crawling around on our hands and knees and looking for our names on tags. Since we were bigger than the little kids, we kept knocking ornaments off the lower branches, so we had to keep stopping and picking them up.
"Thank you, Theresa," said Andrew. He had opened my gift – a pack of Tarot cards and a small book telling how to use them. "Heaven knows I need help reading the future." He smirked. That may have been the first time I saw him really display any emotion.
Lynette was surprised by my gift of a scented candle and a stress ball. "What an odd combination!" she said in her speedy way of talking. I had to have her repeat herself, because I couldn't understand her the first time she said it. She was bad enough on a normal day, but the excitement of Christmas had turned her into a complete lunatic.
Chris had gotten me a book called Too Far Gone. I read the back cover with fascination – it was about a guy who gets stuck in the future when a race of cat-like humanoids rules the planet.
"Thanks," I said to him. I loved reading about things like paradoxes and time travel. It was fun to try to get my brain around it.
"Likewise," he replied, studying my gift to him – a book about the history and science of flight.
"Hey, Basil!" Eve called, holding a thin package in her hand. "Catch!" She hurled it in the direction of the doorway.
Basil looked up just in time to catch the gift before it hit him in the face. He looked shocked for a moment, then he started opening his present.
"Nice aim," I commented to Eve.
"I played a lot of softball when I was little," she said by way of explanation. "Thanks, by the way." I had gotten her Bonsai tree kit. "I love gardening."
I smiled and then turned to watch Basil. I knew what was in the package, but I wanted to watch him open it, just to see the look on his face.
"Awww!" Clarise said, holding up a stuffed wolf. "That is so cute, Theresa. Thanks."
I smiled, still watching Basil. He seemed puzzled by the fact that somebody had gotten him something. He didn't know who'd gotten it for him, because there was no name on the "from" part of the tag. He hesitated for a moment and then ripped the paper off. He looked even more confused, then looked up. I looked away and pretended to be scanning for more presents, but I could feel his eyes on me. He must've guessed.
"Hey, what's this?" Eve said. She was pointing to a rather large box nestled against the tree trunk. It seemed to be…moving. "Scott, it's for you." She tried to lift it, but it nearly fell out of her hands, so she left it where it was.
Scott simply stared at the box for a moment, then he dropped down to his hands and knees and pulled it towards him. Now that I saw the box more closely, it seemed to have air holes. That indicated that whatever was in there was alive.
Professor Xavier was smiling slightly as he watched Scott pull the paper off to reveal the cardboard box underneath. It turned into a broad grin when Scott opened the lid and was pounced on by what looked like a ball of black and white fur.
We all started laughing. Even Scott was smiling. He picked the puppy off his shoulder, where it was licking his head, and set it down on the floor. It spun around and around, not knowing which person to focus on, barking a little shrill puppy-bark.
"What are you going to name her?" the Professor asked Scott, still smiling.
Scott closed his eyes for a moment. "Sophie," he decided at last.
Sophie looked quite happy with this, and jumped up on Scott again. She started licking his ear, and he started laughing.
That was the first time since I'd been at the mansion that I saw Scott happy. I guess little puppies work wonders.
"Sophie, you're gonna be spoiled rotten," Clarise declared, looking at the dog that was sitting beside her chair, looking up at her with big, brown eyes. Clarise took a little piece of chicken off her plate and dropped it down to the dog, who gobbled it up and continued staring up at her. "Now go away! I'm eating!"
Sophie didn't go away – she just curled up by Clarise's feet.
"She must know you're part of her family," Chris said, eyeing the dog.
Clarise rolled her eyes, but said nothing. Chris took a piece of broccoli off his plate and dropped it in front of Sophie, who gobbled it like a piranha.
"She's gonna be fat, too," I observed, taking a bit out of my slice of bread. "I don't think you're supposed to feed them people-food."
"Oh well," Clarise said, shrugging. She reached down underneath the table and scratched Sophie behind the ears.
The front door slammed. Sophie's ears perked up and she scrambled to her feet. Then she zoomed off, tail wagging crazily.
"Scott's back," I noted unnecessarily. After breakfast, Storm and Scott had gone out to Wal-Mart to get dog toys. The Professor had found some dog food that he claimed "mysteriously appeared." None of us believe that, though. We all know he went out and got it ahead of time.
Scott and Storm came into the kitchen, each carrying two bags. Sophie was jumping all over their legs and barking. Scott was smiling – not as broadly as he was this morning – but he was still smiling.
"Hey girl," he said, setting his bags on the table and scooping Sophie up.
Andrew looked up from his lunch. "You need to take her out," he said. "She has to go."
Scott hurriedly put the puppy back down. "Come on, girl. "Let's go out!" He shooed her in front of him down the hall and out the front door.
Chris grinned. "Nice save."
Andrew just shrugged and went back to eating.
That night I staggered up to my room at about twelve. I had been playing various board games and card games since seven, and I was exhausted. I was going to sleep until ten, at least.
I went to flop down on my bed, but I stopped. There was something lying on it. It looked like a card. I picked it up. It was a card. It was made out of what looked like green construction paper. I dimly remembered the younger kids making Christmas cards for each other a couple days ago. Confused, I opened it.
Theresa,
Merry Christmas. Happy New Year. Thanks.
I smiled and set it on my nightstand, then fell down onto the bed. There was something nice under that terrible personality, after all.