Chapter 8: Home For The Holidays

Part 1

Adrenaline pumped through Lance Alvers' veins as he dodged another furious attack. The last projectile had been aimed squarely at his head; it was only a quick duck that saved him from certain death. Looking ahead, he spied his teammate Evan Daniels, who had taken shelter in their fort. The boy leapt for cover and hid behind the fort's wall as another pellet flew dangerously close to his shoulder.

"Shoot!" Kurt Wagner cursed from the other side. "He got away."

"Don't worry, we won't miss again," Scott assured him as he prepared another round of fire.

"This is crazy, man, they're out to get us!" Evan cried worriedly as he saw the enemy regroup. "I think we're done for."

Lance scowled; there was no way he was going be taken out by Scott Summers and his little Christmas elf. Clenching his fists, he stepped out into the open.

"Oh, this is going to be too easy."

Kurt's joy was short-lived, for his fort began to tremble as the ground below it rumbled. The boys struggled to steady themselves, and soon discovered that it had been a bad idea to build their fortress under a snow-covered tree. The large elm shook, and the snow on its many branches drenched them in icy flurries.

Lance grinned. "Game over."

* * *

Jean was curled up in the living room in front of a roaring fire and idly sipped a cup of hot cocoa. She heard a figure trudge inside and glanced up; she smiled in bemusement at Scott, who was covered head to toe in snow.

"Have fun playing?"

"Oh yes," Scott answered sarcastically, pulling off his cap and running a hand through his wet hair. "Remind me to never again get in a snowball fight with a guy named Avalanche."

Jean laughed.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Ororo and Kitty were making a batch of Christmas cookies. The golden brown morsels were pulled from the oven, and their delicious scent permeated throughout the mansion, drawing Lance inside.

"Wow, something smells good."

Kitty, cutely attired in oven mitts and a cat-print apron, brightened when he entered. "Lance! You're just in time to be my official taste-tester!" Smiling proudly, she held up the cookie tray.

"You made these?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Then I'll definitely have one!" he said with a grin, taking one in the shape of a snowman. He took a big bite of the cookie, and munched thoughtfully. His face drained of color as the taste registered with his brain.

There was something horribly wrong—it was sour instead of sweet, and there was a bitterness to it that nearly made him gag. But Kitty was looking so hopeful that he couldn't bear to spit it out. He forced himself to swallow it all and say weakly, "It's…good."

Kitty clapped her hands happily. "All right! I was a little nervous since this was, like, my first try at baking cookies, but I guess it's a good thing that I baked a special batch just for you!"

When she handed him a small bag full of her frightening treats his eyes widened in horror. His sensitive stomach turned and, clutching his mouth, he bolted for the nearest bathroom.

Kitty's face revealed her hurt as her boyfriend ran off. "Is there something wrong with my cookies?" she wondered aloud.

Ororo held her chin in thought, and looked at the ingredients laid out on the kitchen table. She saw something amiss and held up a bottle. "Kitty, you didn't use this, did you?"

"Well, yeah. Isn't that sugar?"

"I'm afraid not. It's table salt," she then held up another bottle, "And this?"

"Vanilla extract?"

"Sesame Oil."

Kitty's expression fell. "Oh dear."

* * *

Kitty's head phased through the bedroom door, and she looked guiltily at Lance's curled-up figure. Creeping silently towards the bed she lay her hand upon his head and caressed his cheek. Stirred from his troubled sleep, he let out a groan. His poor stomach had still not recovered from the cookie menace.

"Hey there, sleepy head," Kitty said affectionately, "I'm sorry about nearly poisoning you. Those cookies were awful. But I baked an all-new salt-n-sesame-free batch to, like, make it up to you."

She presented the boy with another bag full of golden brown cookies. He looked at it in numb horror.

"Th-Thank you, Kit, but you didn't have to…"

"Sure I did!" Kitty insisted, opening the bag and pulling out a menorah shaped cookie. "Try one!"

Lance's stomach did another flip-flop. But again, there was nothing he could deny the pony-tailed beauty. He opened his mouth, and let Kitty feed him cookie.

Kitty was right; they were much better. Delicious, in fact. The warm, sugary morsels delighted his taste buds. Hungry for more, he took another bite and his tongue lightly brushed Kitty's finger as he lapped up the last tiny crumbs.

His girlfriend giggled at the ticklish sensation, and leaned in closer. They kissed deeply, and Kitty could taste the sugar on Lance's lips. Feeling bold, she opened her mouth a little and let him slip his tongue inside.

Lance's body began to heat up, and he gently pulled Kitty down next to him on the bed. As they continued to kiss he placed his hand on her hip and moved on top of her. Kitty hooked her arms around his neck, oblivious to his hand until it shifted onto her bare belly and crept under her blouse.

Kitty froze suddenly, and broke the kiss. Lance pulled back, looking at her in confusion as she sat up and left the bed.

"Well, I better help get dinner ready," she said with a nervous smile. "Enjoy the cookies!" And before Lance could say anything, she was gone. He stared at the door for several moments after she left, his heart in a knot. He then slapped his forehead and cursed himself. "Stupid, stupid."

* * *

"I feel like a jerk," Lance later lamented to Evan as he stared into the window of a department store. The four boys of the Institute were Christmas shopping at Bayville Plaza, but Lance couldn't get his mind off the incident with Kitty earlier that afternoon.

"Why's that, bro?" Evan asked. Besides his girlfriend, Evan was the only one at the mansion he could talk to as a friend, even though things were slowly improving with Scott and Kurt. Sure, Evan's skater-isms and his contrary personality were sometimes annoying, but it was better than talking to a wall.

"Kitty and I have been together for over a month now, but every time I try to get, y'know, close to her, she freezes up. I'm scared she thinks I'm trying to pressure her."

Evan smirked lecherously. "So, you guys have…?"

"No!" Lance snapped. "I would never--!"

"Man, I was just kiddin' ya. I think it's cool that you've got self-control. I mean if I had a girlfriend that looked like Kitty I would be all over her!"

Lance glared at his laughing friend and fought the urge to smack him silly.

"Come on, you two! We've only got an hour to buy gifts!" Scott's authoritative voice called from across the aisle.

"All right! Chill boss-man!" Evan rolled his eyes.

Scott frowned. "You especially need to get a move on, Evan, seeing as how you and your aunt are leaving for New York in two days."

A sigh escaped Lance's lips. Winter break was almost upon Bayville High, and all the students at the Xavier Institute were going back home to visit their parents for Christmas. All of the students, that is, except Lance and Scott. They were the only ones without a family to go back to. Christmas had never been a good time of the year for the rock-tumbler, but with Kitty gone and him stuck in an empty mansion with his sometime rival, that holiday promised to be terrible.

Kurt walked up to him, carrying a bunch of red and green bags. "So, did you get anything for Kitty yet?" he asked teasingly.

"No. Did you get anything for Tabitha yet?"

Kurt's face darkened, and he stormed away in a huff. Lance chuckled, even though Kurt's pain over his last ill-fated romance wasn't very funny.

"What do you get someone for Hanukah, anyway?"

"Hanukah?" Scott asked. "That was a couple weeks ago."

"Yeah, but Kitty didn't want to celebrate it down here, since she wouldn't be with her parents. I'm not sure what I should get her."

Scott surprised him with a smile. "It is hard trying to find the perfect gift for that special person, isn't it?"

Lance cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, what would you know about it, Summers?"

"Well, I'm having my own problems trying to find a present for a certain someone."

"Jean?"

"How did you know?"

"I have eyes, don't I?"

* * *

Kitty lay across the couch in the living room with a blanket draped across her body, and was having an animated conversation on the phone.

"I know Mom, I'm sorry I missed Hanukah, but we only have a week off and the Professor wouldn't let me miss any class. I'm really looking forward to coming back home…no, I haven't asked him yet…I will, I will…of course he'll say yes!…okay, love you too. Say hi to Daddy for me. Bye!" As Kitty put down the phone, the boys of the Institute walked in the main entrance, their arms full of goodies.

"We come bearing gifts!" declared a joyous Kurt.

"Yay!" Kitty giggled, poking her head out into the hall. She waltzed over to Lance and tried to peek in one of his large bags. "Anything for me?"

"Maybe," Lance smirked knowingly as he headed up the stairs. Once in his room he stashed the bags in his closet, and flashed a smile at his girlfriend when she followed him inside.

"What's up?" They were alone in his bedroom like they were only hours earlier. Did Kitty have to say something about what had happened?

"Well, I'll be going back to Northbrook on Saturday," she said, breaking the ice.

"Yeah."

"And I know you're going to be pretty much alone here for the holidays. . ."

"Yeah."

"So, like, I wanted to ask you if maybe you'd like to come with me."

Lance was completely taken by surprise. "Go back to Northbrook?" he questioned in disbelief.

Kitty nodded.

"I'd love to go with you!" he blurted out, then realized he had sounded way too enthusiastic. "But is it okay with your folks?"

"It's no trouble at all! When I told my mom you didn't have any place to go for Christmas, she insisted I bring you."

"That's all well and good for your mom, but do you want me to tag along?"

Kitty looked slightly hurt. "Why wouldn't I?"

Okay, then. If she wanted to pretend that the earlier brush off never happened, so could he. "I don't know. But I'll come."

Kitty kissed him on the cheek. "Great! I'll go talk to the Professor about arranging the flight."

After she left, Lance touched the spot where her warm lips had brushed his skin. The prospect of being back in his old haunts didn't warm his heart; after all, he wanted to permanently close the Northbrook chapter of his life. But he would be with Kitty, and as long as they were together everything would be fine.

At least, that's what he told himself. He started to undress for bed when a half-forgotten memory rose to the surface of his mind and disturbed him.

//Get your hands off my daughter!//

Kitty's happy I'm coming, and her mom insisted I do it. . .but what about her father?

* * *

The only word that could describe Saturday morning was "chaotic". It started at 6:00 with a telepathic lecture from Xavier about the importance of keeping certain things about the Institute a secret from their families. It wasn't much later that Jean's parents arrived at the Institute in a wood-panel station wagon to whisk their daughter back to Annandale, and Ororo and Evan borrowed the X-Van in order to "safely" drive the streets of New York City. Logan, who had somehow managed to oversleep, hastily drove Kitty, Lance, and Kurt to the airport. It was there that the three young mutants parted—Kurt on his way back to Germany, and Kitty and Lance headed for their flight to Northbrook.

The couple managed to make it to the terminal with only a few minutes to spare. Lance stared up at the 747 in dismay, and Kitty took note of his troubled expression.

"Don't be nervous; my parents will love you!"

He chuckled. "Oh, it's not that. Me plus flying equals pain."

Kitty simply smiled. "Well then, don't be nervous about that. I'm sure the plane will have plenty of airsick bags."

And indeed it did. Fortunately Lance gave them little use, for flying in a regular plane was less nauseating than an SR-77. Aside from his periods of airsickness, the flight was pretty fun. He and Kitty had made fun of the bad airline food, laughed at the in-flight movie, and had an all-around good time.

The plane landed safely in the Chicago Airport, and the mutant couple disembarked with their bags in tow. As soon as they exited the terminal Kitty's joyful parents accosted them, and Rebecca Pryde threw her arms around her baby girl while happy tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Oh honey, we're so glad to see you!"

Kitty was embarrassed to be hugged by her sobbing mother in front of her boyfriend, but pushed the feeling aside and returned the loving embrace. "I'm happy to see you too, Mom!"

Lance shifted from one foot to another, feeling like a fifth wheel already. Alexander Pryde stood nearby and put his strong hand on Kitty's shoulder, and then looked up at the boy and nodded his head in acknowledgement. Lance returned the oh-so-warm gesture.

Kitty freed herself from Rebecca's arms and pushed the rock-tumbler forward. "I hope you remember Lance Alvers," she said proudly.

For some reason, the boy's surname rang an alarm in Alexander's head. Alvers? Where do I know that name?

"It's wonderful to see you again," Rebecca gushed, taking his gloved hand and shaking it enthusiastically.

"Likewise."

Alexander took Kitty's suitcase and interrupted the introductions. "We better be off, everyone. We don't want to get caught in traffic."

As the small group left the airport for the affluent suburb of Northbrook, Lance had a sinking feeling in his stomach he couldn't quite shake. He doubted it was the airplane food.

* * *

In the bowels of the Institute for Gifted Youngsters, there lay a secret room that only two people knew about. One of those people had left on another one of his lone wolfish jaunts, and the second was on his way down to check upon the room's contents.

The students' winter vacation would prove to be a blessing, Xavier thought, for he was free to continue his work without discovery or interruptions. If one of the young mutants in his care was to stumble upon his work, he could wipe their minds of the incident without breaking a sweat, however, he hoped it would never come to that. As it stood, only one of the students was still at the mansion, but Scott was so reliable, and, dare he say it, predictable, that Xavier had no worries about the field leader seeing something he shouldn't.

The small elevator landed at the bottom floor, and Xavier wheeled over to the door that would lead him to his work. It opened after a small mental push, and Xavier entered with a grin.

"Good afternoon," he greeted.

The thing inside the large glass jar filled with amniotic fluid seemed to twitch in response to his words. Xavier was very pleased at its recent growth level; for it would be very soon that he'd put it to good use. Perhaps it was a stroke of luck that he and Logan found what they had back in that castle. The Master of Magnetism's technology had come so far, and it made the old mutant wish that he and the one once known as Erik Lensherr were still friends and allies.

The thing inside the jar twitched again, piquing the Professor's curiosity. "Do you have something to say?" he inquired. It twitched again, and he reached for the specially designed helmet that would allow him to mentally communicate with the entity. He put it on, and exchanged telepathic words with it for several moments, and then his face grew grim.

"No!" he shouted vehemently, pulling off the helmet and glaring down at the jar. "No," he said again and wheeled out of the room, leaving the thing alone in the darkness.

* * *

The Pryde residence was a beautiful, Victorian-style home complete with rose bushes and a white picket fence—the kind of perfect place one would expect to see in a painting, not real life. The perpetually grungy Lance stepped into the spotless house and immediately felt out of place. His unease evaporated as Kitty brushed against him and squeezed his hand.

Oblivious to their display of affection, Rebecca said, "Kitty, why don't you give Lance the grand tour and let him put his things away in the guest room! I'll go make supper."

"Sure thing, Mom!" Kitty grinned and led him up the stairs.

"You're mom is very…chipper," Lance whispered into her ear with a wolfish grin.

"She's just happy we're here. I think she's been pretty lonely since I left."

Once in the upstairs hall, Kitty opened a door for him, revealing a large room with a king-size bed and TV. "Here we are sir, your new home away from home," she said jokingly.

"Cool," Lance remarked, throwing his battered duffel bag on the bed. "So, where do you crash, my lady?"

Chuckling, Kitty walked down the hall into her bedroom, Lance not far behind.

"Wow. It's very…pink."

Little pink flowers adorned Kitty's wallpaper, and the carpet was a darker shade of rose. Centerfolds of male heartthrobs from teen magazines had been hung on the door with loving care, and there was a zoo of stuffed animals vying for space on her bed.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Kitty said wryly, taking a seat on her frilly canopy bed. "My mom decorated it."

"What, when you were five?"

Kitty hit him playfully on the arm, smiling. "You're so mean! I know it's pretty girly, but it's home."

Lance studied the girl in front of him. There was a sad yet wistful look in her eyes, and she hadn't sounded very sure of herself. Taken by impulse, he leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. "You're beautiful," he whispered.

Blushing uncomfortably, Kitty put her hand on his chest and gently pushed him away.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, Lance, it's just that I'm worried."

"About what? Us?"

"Sort of. There's something I should have told you a lot earlier."

 "What is it?"

"Mom and Dad think I'm too young to date," Kitty bit her lip nervously. "When I started high school they expressly forbid it. But when I developed feelings for you at the Institute, well, I wasn't going to let that rule keep us from being together."

Lance was taken by surprise. "So they think I'm just a friend?"

"It's complicated. I told my mother that we were dating because I thought she'd understand, especially after I told her how wonderful you are."

Lance smirked.

"But I think she told my father. He's the one who felt the strongest about me not having a boyfriend, and I saw those looks he gave you at the airport. I'm worried that he might do something or say something if he sees us too close for his liking."

A scowl darkened Lance's face as he thought about her words. "Kitty…he wouldn't hurt you or anything, would he?"

"No! Oh God, no!" she shook her head. "He might try to break us up. Not that he'd succeed," she assured him with a caress, "but I want my folks to accept you as part of my life." 

Just then, there was a yell from downstairs. Mrs. Pryde's voice called, "Kitty! Lance! Dinner's ready!"

"Time to face the music," the boy muttered.

* * *

"So how is life at the Xavier Institute?" Alexander asked the two teens seated at the dinner table.

"Pretty cool," Lance answered, meeting the strong gaze of his girlfriend's father. "We got hot meals, warm showers, and a roof over our heads. Not much to complain about."

"Wonderful," Rebecca said with an uncertain smile. "And are the other students nice? Kitty said so, but the only one she really talked about was you."

"Mom!" Kitty cried, blushing in embarrassment.

Suppressing a grin, Lance casually replied, "They're okay. Jean likes to make my life hell, Scott's all right when he isn't barking out orders, Evan ain't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, and Kurt's a total goofball. All things considered, they ain't a bad crowd."

Lance was trying to make a good impression, but Kitty could tell her parents weren't very amused by his attitude. She tried to warm up the room by saying with a chuckle, "Kurt's really funny, Mom. This morning when the three of us were about to leave for the airport, he was in such a hurry that he closed the van door on his tail!"

Her plan backfired. Rebecca winced at the word "tail", and Alexander's reaction wasn't any better. Apparently her parents were still sensitive to the whole concept of mutants. Kitty was more than willing to let the whole subject die, but her father had other ideas.

"I've been wondering, Lance, what exactly is your," he searched for the right word, "ability?"

The teen glanced up from the mashed potatoes he was fiddling with and sat up straight. "Geological manipulation." Might as well use the fancy term for it.

"Oh," Rebecca nodded her head, her tone clear that she had no idea what he meant.

"I can cause earthquakes."

"Oh."

"Well that's certainly dangerous," Alexander remarked. "I can see why Professor Xavier would want you at the Institute and not out in the open where someone could get hurt."

Kitty's eyes flew to her father, shocked that he would say such a thing. Lance furrowed his brow and struggled to keep his voice calm. "I'm not a walking fault line, Mr. Pryde, and I'm free to go out wherever I choose. The Institute is about control, and that's exactly what I have."

Alexander hadn't expected such a strong reply. He was then further surprised by his own daughter, who said, "Lance is right, Dad. The school's really helped both of us take control of our gifts. God only knows what would have happened to us without Professor X."

The man nodded, and the table fell into a troubled silence. Little else was said that night, and an air of gloom seemed to cast itself over the house.

* * *

Early the next morning, Rebecca made her way downstairs to make a fresh pot of coffee. While passing through the halls she noticed that one of the flower vases was nearly out of water, and decided she might as well fill it up. She looked down at the small bouquet of roses and babies' breath and noticed a small insect crawling along one of the stems. She picked it off and squished it as she walked into the kitchen, and glancing up, let out a sharp cry of horror as she saw her daughter's lower body stuck halfway through the refrigerator.

Kitty heard the scream and quickly phased out the fridge door. "Are you all right?!"

Rebecca clutched her heart, breathing hard. "I-I'm fine, dear. You just startled me."

Kitty's expression fell. Hadn't her parents gotten used to her powers? She looked down at the carton of eggs she had nearly dropped when her mother screamed and put them on the counter. "I was just about to make breakfast, that's all," she explained.

"That's kind of you, Kitty," her mother said, having collected herself. "But you're up so early."

"Yeah, I guess I'm used to, like, getting up at the crack of dawn. Usually we have martial arts, yoga, or Danger--er, practice sessions first thing in the morning. I've almost forgotten what it's like to wake up at a decent hour, but Lance," she chuckled, "he can sleep through World War III."

Kitty started the stove, while Rebecca retrieved the frying pan. Kitty fetched some cheese, onions, and peppers from the refrigerator (careful not to phase through it that time) and started to make omelets.

Rebecca watched her daughter at work, and took the first sips of the black coffee she had just prepared. "I don't remember you having such an interest in cooking," she said thoughtfully.

Kitty shrugged. "It's kind of a new thing for me. I just started Home EC at Bayville High and Ororo's been helping me at the mansion. I've had a few disasters, but I think I'm getting the hang of it."

"You've been doing a lot of new things at the Institute, haven't you?"

"You could say that." Playing superhero and saving the world, for starters.

"Well," Rebecca paused, "You're father and I did some talking last night, and since you said you've gotten full control over your…power…we thought we should take you out of the Institute."

The girl's face drained of color, and she turned to face her mother slowly. "What?" Her voice was a shocked whisper.

"Kitten, we miss you so much. And since your 'phasing' isn't a problem anymore, why should you be so far from home?"

"Just because I'm not phasing through the floor uncontrollably doesn't mean I don't have anything more to learn," Kitty cried, her voice rising. "My ability to walk through walls isn't going to go away."

"We know, honey, and we've accepted it!"

No, you haven't, Kitty thought. She wanted to scream the words aloud, but didn't want to alert the whole house about their argument.

Rebecca's tone softened, and she took a different approach. "Don't you miss Northbrook? Don't you miss your old school and your old friends?"

"I didn't have any friends," Kitty said in frustration. "And I hated school. Do you remember Riley Chase, Mom?"

"The girl who tried to attack you?"

"Yes! But before that, I tried to tell you and Dad about her. How she and her snotty friends would steal my textbooks and trash them, how they'd dump my lunch tray and start rumors about me behind my back. But you didn't listen…both of you just pretended that nothing was ever wrong because you didn't want to deal with it!"

"Kitty!"

"It's the truth. Only one person at Northbrook High was ever there for me, and that was Lance. I care about him, and I don't want to leave him or any of my other friends at the Xavier Institute. I'm happy there, and probably a lot safer, too."

"Safer? Safer than in your own home--?!" The woman stopped as a figure appeared in the doorway.

"Good morning," Lance said tiredly. The kitchen was suddenly silent, and the mother and daughter stared at him for a moment, both wondering how much of their fight he had heard. The teenager looked down at himself and made sure that he had remembered to put pants on before walking downstairs. He had made the mistake before, and had been chastised by a horrified Ororo. Okay, he was fully dressed, so what was the deal?

"Good morning, Lance," Kitty greeted pleasantly, turning her attention back to the stove. "Want some breakfast?"

"Sure."

He sat down at the table and was presented with a steaming hot omelet and a glass of orange juice.

"Sorry, but we don't have any ham or bacon," Kitty apologized.

"Oh, it's okay," he replied, noticing that there was uneasiness between Kitty and her mother. They joined him at the table and would not even look at each other.

Kitty swallowed the lump in her throat and decided to just focus on her boyfriend and the meal in front of them. She saw him look skeptically at the cheese-covered dish before taking a bite out of it, as if he expected it to taste something like her first ill-conceived batch of cookies. But his face brightened in surprise as he chewed, and he helped himself to more of it.

Smiling in relief, Kitty asked, "Want to go out for a walk this morning?" She stole a glance at Rebecca, "I need some fresh air."

* * *

"Trouble in paradise?"

"Hmm?" Kitty murmured, shutting the fence gate as they exited the Pryde residence. "Oh. Right. I suppose you heard all that."

"No, not all of it," Lance replied. "I thought things were cool between you and your folks."

"They were. At least, I thought so. Now I don't know," Kitty said sadly. "I don't want to think about it."

"All right."

The pair walked the cold streets of Northbrook, arm in arm. It hadn't snowed yet, but the ground was covered in a heavy frost that seemed to foretell that a worse cold was coming. The icy wind succeeded in driving away the thoughts that troubled Kitty, and she clung tighter to the boy strolling beside her. While Kitty was bundled up in a thick wool sweater with matching gloves and earmuffs, Lance merely wore a long-sleeved turtleneck and his trademark leather jacket to protect him from the weather. But he did not shrink from the cold. Kitty felt strength and warmth emanating from Lance—things she sorely wished she possessed. Perhaps if she had his strength she would know what to do about her parents.

As for Lance himself, he felt peculiar. He had spent most of his life in the small town, but it wasn't his home. The streets he and his companion walked were foreign to him, almost as if he were a stranger. He wondered if Kitty feel the same way. They had only been back a short time but he knew the visit wasn't what she had expected, or hoped for.

Finally having enough of Mother Nature, Kitty pulled Lance into a nearby café. It was a warm, bright little shop, full of people and rich with the scent of hot coffee. The girl garnered a seat while Lance fetched some drinks. The lovebirds chatted about the less than stellar quality of their espressos, the Christmas songs that were being played on the radio ad nauseum and other frivolities, but after a few minutes a silence fell between them. Her mind far away, Kitty gazed somberly into the hot cup in her hands. The dark-haired boy examined her features, and while he wasn't a telepath, he could make an accurate guess about what she was thinking of.

"Kitty, uh, if you want to talk about it, you can." Being a sensitive New Age boyfriend wasn't something he was good at, but he could see she was being bothered by something.

"I just wish that things were, I don't know, different," she said after a beat. "It seems like my parents want to keep pretending there's nothing different about me."

"Hunh. That's stupid," Lance scoffed, feeling a bit of anger and annoyance towards the Prydes. "If we've come to terms with what we are, they can too. It's not as if they're the ones with the powers."

Kitty nodded in wordless agreement, still fretting. She nervously brushed back a strand of hair from her eyes and continued her lament. "That's not all there is to it, though. They…want me to stay here. Permanently."

Her words hit Lance like a blow, and for a moment he was too shocked to respond. He then let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and asked, "Are you going to leave the Institute?"

"Not if I can help it."

"Will your parents give you a choice?"

"I really don't know."

Reaching across the table, Kitty took her boyfriend's hand. Their fingers intertwined, and Lance returned her loving squeeze as Kitty spoke.

"Believe me, I don't want to leave you."

The couple looked into each other's eyes, and exchanged a glance that spoke volumes about their feelings for one another. Three words fluttered in Lance's heart, aching to be said and brought into the open.

The confession would have to wait, as a pair of well-manicured, feminine hands snuck up behind the boy and wrapped themselves around him. Lance's blood ran cold as a painfully familiar voice purred his name.

"Lancey, where were you? It's been months!"

He grimaced, not wanting to share any words with the girl or look at Kitty's shocked and questioning expression. Swallowing a string of curses, he said, "Yes, it has, Lindsey."

The girl, Lindsey, detached herself from him and smiled. Kitty was then able to get a good look at her—she was tall, curvaceous, and dressed in leather boots and a designer mink coat. Her dark brown locks were long and wavy, and her complexion was flawless. She was beautiful enough to be a model, and that only troubled Kitty more. Just who was she, and why was she talking to her boyfriend with such familiarity?

"So tell me, where exactly have you been?" she demanded again with her hands on her hips, as if she had a right to know.

"Away," was all Lance was willing to offer.

Lindsey shrugged, apparently satisfied. "As mysterious as ever, I see." She then leaned toward his ear, focusing her eyes on his companion. "And who's this? Your little sister?"

Kitty glowered at the girl, and Lance groaned. "You know I don't have any siblings. She's my girlfriend. Kitty Pryde."

"How adorable! She's just so little and cute…your taste in the opposite sex has certainly changed a lot, Lancey."

"Has it?" Kitty inquired, her patience hanging by a delicate thread.

Lindsey's coquettish lips formed a smirk; she was quite pleased with herself for ruffling the little girl's feathers.

"Well, I better be off," she waved. "I have to meet Peter. We're seeing each other now."

"Peter," Lance growled the word.

She said with a wink, "I'll be sure to tell him you're back in town. Ciao!"

As the glass café door shut behind her, Lance let out a sigh and rubbed his temple, feeling a headache coming on. "I'm so sorry about that," he murmured.

"Yeah. Girlfriend?"

"Ex-girlfriend," Lance replied, firmly emphasizing the "ex". "We broke up a long time ago."

"It sounded to me like she wanted to keep things warm between you too."

Okay, Kitty was a little mad. He understood and really couldn't blame her, after the way Lindsey behaved. "That's just the way she is. After we split she still put the moves on me, even though I told her up front just exactly how I felt about sleeping with her."

"So, you never…?"

"Had sex with her?" Lance couldn't help but smile at the way Kitty blushed. "No, I never did."

Seeing the relief in her face, he looked into her eyes. "And I don't regret it, either. I have you," he kissed her cheek, "And Lindsey and Pete deserve each other."

Kitty was slightly put off by his spiteful tone. For a moment she thought she saw a shadow pass over his face, but it disappeared as quickly as it came.

She quietly asked, "Is there something wrong?"

Lance was surprised at her question. "No, I'm all right." There was the tiniest waver in his voice, and his eyes were distant. He was hiding something all right, and the girl frowned.

To Kitty, Lance was a confidant as well as a friend and love. She relied on him for strength, comfort, and understanding, and poured her heart out to him many times. And while he had also found solace in her embrace, there was a part of his heart that was closed off to her. Try as she might to break down the emotional barrier between them, there were things that he continued to keep from her. She had been patient; after all, the many times he had been hurt in his past made it difficult for him open up. But now she was beginning to wonder if she'd ever see the deepest, most intimate parts of his soul.

* * *

Lindsey Jameson stood outside the coffee shop, tapping her foot on the dull concrete in annoyance. She most definitely did not like to be kept waiting. The comely girl stole a glance at her gold wristwatch and swore that if he were just one more minute late she would storm off and make him sleep in an empty bed that night. Fortunately, he arrived with sixteen seconds to spare.

Peter Mehan looked a lot like Lance, in that he was a perpetually scruffy, longhaired young man. But unlike the mutant there was no warmth in his eyes, only a cold, dark emptiness. Staring into his hazel orbs would have unnerved many people, but Lindsey found him attractive. Lindsey was a very stupid girl.

"I was waiting for you for fifteen minutes," she huffed. "I hate it when you make me wait."

Pete laughed humorlessly and put a possessive arm around her shoulder. "Where do you want to go?"

"Lance never made me wait," remarked Lindsey, ignoring his question.

"Oh no? Isn't that why you started hanging around me in the first place?"

She pouted. "You know what I mean. He may have been a tight-ass, but at least he knew how to treat a girl."

"Lance didn't know anything," Pete spat. He always used the past tense when referring to his missing "friend". He was gone and better off forgotten.

"Why don't you tell him that yourself?"

"What?"

Lindsey's gaze shifted to the café window, where a certain couple could be seen. "He's right in there."

Pete's head spun around, and his empty eyes were filled with loathing when he recognized a battered leather jacket and its dark-haired owner.

"I think…I will."

* * * * * * * * * * * *

To Be Continued. . .

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Author's Notes: Well, here's the first part of the Rock Your World "Holiday Special" (hey, it's only a couple weeks late -_- ) The Special was originally intended to be one huge chapter, but upon completing it I thought the 40 (!) pages was a little much for one installment. So, I split it in two. On the plus side, the next update shall be fairly soon, and my loyal readers won't have to wait over a month for a new chapter. And since the chapters following the Holiday Special won't be as long as the last few have been, hopefully (knock on wood) I'll be able to get back on a somewhat regular schedule.

So. . . ::dramatic voice:: What will become of Lance and Kitty? Will they have a holly jolly Christmas, or will Kitty's parents pull her out of the Institute? Is Pete planning something? What is in Xavier's basement? Why is the sky blue? Do you know the muffin man? All these questions and more will be answered in the thrilling conclusion to "Home for the Holidays!" Be there! ::end dramatic voice::

Thanks for all the great reviews, everyone! ~Sandoz