A/N-WOW. I just realized just how many plot holes I had in my first chapter. UGH. Yeah. I'm also having a bit of a hard time with getting inspired. I can build up on a plotline but I can never get original ideas. BAH. Plus, I idolize so many writers now, it's hard for me to pry my eyes from their stuff to get started writing my own crap. Thanks to everyone *cough, three people* who reviewed.

Snitter in Rivendell- Augh, you have such nice comments. ;; They make me feel all squishy and in the mood to write. Thanks also for clearing up what canon means. ^___^

Disclaimer- X-men Evolution belongs to other, more talented people. Not me. HAH. *angsts* ^___^

-- -- -- --

After Todd left, Lance attempted to get back to sleep. No such luck there. It was too cold, which reminded him of the heater being broken, which in turn reminded him that he should get up now and go to work to see if he could get another shift in for some extra money. He lay back in bed, staring up at the cracked plaster ceiling.

He didn't want to get up. He got up.

He grimaced as he headed down the littered hall to the bathroom. He couldn't just lay there and do nothing. When he was tired, sure, but when he was wide awake, the feeling of not doing anything was just too much to bear. Lance was one of those people who just had to be doing something, be a part of what was going on, or go mad.

He needed to feel needed.

He never admitted it, but he liked being depended on. It was better that depending on other people, and having those people be ripped away from you, leaving you with nothing and being able to do jack shit about it.

Ah, those where the days.

He pulled a face and went into the bathroom.

-- -- -- --

Christmas at the Xavier Institute for the Gifted was always something to look forward to, the perfect, only slightly unreal epitome of festivity and merrymaking. Everyone was excited and happy and filled with general holiday spirit, and Scott Summers was no exception.

He had helped the New Recruits set up the tree, flung around snowballs with his brother Alex, who had come over from Hawaii (and complaining bitterly about the bleak weather), and watched, with amusement, Kurt's (who had obviously learnt nothing from last year's failure) attempts to get Kitty to kiss him using mistletoe.

"C'mon, Kitty, just one?"

Scott grinned. Oh yes, and the fact that a certain pretty redheaded girl was, in fact, not going back to her family like last year, but was staying here at the Institute, like most of the X-men. More importantly, it would be with him.

It was odd at first, how his relationship with Jean had started out. As Kurt put it, it had been obvious to everyone except for themselves that they liked each other. They had refused to believe that they liked each other, and therefore liked each other more. It was like some sort of vicious cycle. The more they hadn't wanted to believe it, the truer it became.

Nevertheless, with Jean staying, Scott wasn't about to complain.

In fact, with her standing beside him with her arm around his shoulders and a week of her ahead, he was happier than he could ever be.

Kurt and Kitty paused in their chase and snickered loudly.

Well, almost as happy as he could ever be.

Scott reminded himself to be the mature adult and made a face at the blue teen and the pony-tailed mutant. "Hey Jean, let's go outside for some fresh air," he said to her, steering her outside and ignoring the giggles that Kurt and Kitty didn't even attempt to stifle.

Jean smiled at him.

Once they were outside, Scott said to the air, his breath a white cloud lingering in the air, "I'm glad you're staying."

Jean nodded. "Me too. I mean, it's too bad and I do miss them, but you know, I went back for Thanksgiving, so, um, I guess it would be okay to stay for Christmas, since everyone else is staying too and I missed staying back last year." Jean faltered, fingering her coat edges.

Scott grinned.

"Yeah, Jean, I love you too."

Jean shoved him, but she was laughing.

She smiled again, the smile that made Scott's insides melt, and said, "I know. Don't get too cocky about it."

Scott feigned resentment. "Oh, come on, Jean. You know me better than that. Besides," he pointed out, "Kurt and Kitty will take care of that."

Jean pulled a wry face. "It's just like it that, of all the X- men, Kitty and Kurt have to be the best at escaping. It's hard to kill them when they keep teleporting or phasing away."

Scott shook his head. "True, that. But even if they ARE little juvenile annoyances at times, we're sure lucky to have them around if we run into the Brotherhood or Magneto. Though things seemed to have calmed down after that Sentinel incident," he mused thoughtfully. "In fact, I haven't seen any of them for a while, haven't you? I wonder what they're doing."

Jean shrugged, clearly uncomfortable. "I s'pose they're celebrating Christmas, like every other person's doing." She stared out into the gray sky, unsure of what to say and halfheartedly hoping to go back inside, but not wanting to leave Scott. Jean shivered as the morning chill settled onto her, one gloved hand jammed deep into her coat pocket, the other holding Scott's.

"Getting cold?"

The couple turned to see Ororo Munroe, otherwise known as Storm, standing behind them in the doorway, her white mane falling on her shoulders, a ready smile toying around the corners of her lips. "I am sorry to interrupt, but it's time for breakfast and everyone's already settled in," the weather witch explained. "I am also sure you do not want to be late, because otherwise Kurt will have eaten everything before you arrive."

There was a pause, and then Scott eyed Jean. "I don't know about you, but I've let Kurt get away with teasing me, but there's no way in hell I'm going to let him eat my breakfast, not if I can help it."

With that, the two headed back indoors with Ororo, their conversation left abandoned and frozen in the chilly gray morning.

-- -- -- --

Lance walked out the front door, slamming it shut and avoiding icy patches on the walkway.

Freddy and Toad were watching morning cartoons, Wanda was in her room, and Pietro (who had thankfully ignored him), was eating and poring over newspapers in the kitchen.

He unlocked his jeep, his beloved jeep, rescued back from Tabby. He scowled at the memory. He hadn't bought the jeep with his own money, bought spare parts and fixed them up and lovingly cleaned them every week to have some crazy psycho klepto like Tabitha steal it from him. His jeep was one of the few things he had that was his, that actually belonged to him. Having some crazy girl constantly steal it from him was, in his mind, the most tragic thing in the world.

He shoved the key in the ignition and turned it. A brief sputtering sound that died a moment later issued from the back of the car.

"Oh, screw that."

He hauled himself out and kicked the back fender, followed by a slew of swears. He climbed back inside, and the jeep gave a satisfying purr.

He smiled. At least one thing in his life could sometimes work right.

-- -- -- --

A/N- Man. My dad found out about my LJ (and the swearwords in it) and he's.not too happy. Banned from internet use for a week. Well damn. Yeah. I still don't understand how to do italics, because when I write i in HTML like this i it never shows up on the previews. Does anyone else think that I write.disjointedly? It seems (to me) like that.Maybe because of the abrupt switchings of angst and humor. BAH. Well. This time I've got an excuse.it's 11:30 and my toes are freezing. *NOTE- This IS STILL A WARMUP FIC. It is a first and therefore utter CRAP. This is just practice. Constructive criticism will be thanked.

I think that's all for now.