FYI:

~Personal Thoughts~

~"Inner Voices"~

ESP

%The Written Word%

[Flashback]

"Normal Conversation (Duh)"

ROGUE

"I love Christmas don't you, luv?" Betsy had pulled the curtains back from the windows an' was standin' in front of them admirin' the snow fallin'. "Don't get snow like this in England." Her voice sounded a li'l sad at the thought of her home but when she turned around she was smilin' at meh. "Come on! Let's hurry up and get downstairs to see what everyone else is doing."

Ah looked over at mah alarm clock ta see it was 7:00 am. "Bets, ain't nobody up an' movin' yet. Nobody but the professor or Beast would be movin' this early on break."

"You don't know my brother, luv. He's a Christmas addict and probably didn't sleep a wink." She grabbed mah arm an' dragged meh downstairs without givin' meh a chance ta even change out of mah pajamas. We found a very tired lookin' Remy an' a very wide awake Brian already eatin'.

"Sugah, ya awake in there?" Ah gave him a playful knock on the forehead as Ah sat down.

"Oui, just barely t'ough." He smiled though as he handed meh a mug of coffee. Ah took a few sips of the strong liquid as Ah stared out the window tryin' ta see the beauty in the storm that Betsy had found. "Somet'ing de matter, Cherie?"

"Hmm…no. Ah was just…well." Ah smiled as Ah looked back out the window watchin' the snow swirl around an' land on the ground outside. "It's just so pretty out there."

"Not as pretty as y' t'ough." Remy placed an arm around mah waist as Ah turned back around ta look at him.

"Y' just sayin' that." Ah couldn't help but blush a li'l at his comment no matter how trite it was. "So what are the plans for taday?" Both Remy an' Betsy shrugged their shoulders but Brian looked like a li'l kid in a candy store. (A/N: I know exactly what that's like considerin' I work in one!)

"It's Christmas Eve! We have to decorate the tree, bake cookies, do something Christmasy!"

"I warned you, Rogue, the boy is an addict." Betsy was grinnin' though an' I couldn't help but laugh as Ah pictured Remy with an apron on pullin' Christmas cookies out of the oven.

"Somet'ing funny, Cherie?"

"Just thinkin' what it would be like ta see ya wearin' an apron an' bakin' cookies."

"Y' got a sick mind, Cherie."

"Ah do?!?! Why's that?"

"T'inking of me wearing only an apron…t'at's just a li'l on de dirty side, non?"

"Perv." He smiled though as he picked up mah mug an' his plate an' dumped them inta the dish washer. "So what are we doin' first?"

"Well luvs, the tree sounds like a good idea to me."

PYSLOCKE

We spent the next few hours decorating the Christmas tree in the community room. The top seemed a little barren for some reason as if someone had stripped the upper branches of their needles. When we finished we stood back to admire our work now decorated with twinkly lights, garlands, and glass balls. Remy began whistling a version of "Deck the Halls" that seemed to be a little to upbeat as Brian just stared at the tree in awe.

"Luv, you're making me sick." I slapped his back knocking him back into reality as the four of us went to leave the room.

"Now what should we do? Never mind, I know! A good time of decorating cookies, or…or caroling, or…"

"Quit while you're ahead, luv." He looked at me questioningly. "We're going for a good snowball fight." Rogue and Remy were already standing in the front hall with coats on as they prepared to brave the cold. I grabbed mine out of a closet and ran out into the snow. They joined me in the fresh powder.

"Boys against girls, oui?"

"Sounds good ta meh. We'll just whoop ya butts."

Rogue and I started off a little towards the woods where we scooped up snow into our hands and prepared for the boys eventual attack. I levitated a good half dozen snowballs into the air above my head so that I could do an aerial attack. Rogue closed her eyes and her breathing grew a little heavy but when she reopened them her eyes were glowing red. The snowballs she held in her fists glowed pink as she got a small smirk on her face. "Luv, is that such a good idea? Won't that hurt them?"

"No, it's just snow, they'll live." I looked up into the sky just in time to see my brother flying overhead.

"DUCK!" I jumped to the side as snowballs cascaded down at the spot where I once had been standing. Rogue stood her ground as the snowballs simply fell straight through her plopping onto the ground.

"Brrr…that's cold!" She looked around her waiting for Remy's eventual attack. It came from behind her and I sent three of my floating snowballs at him before he could toss any of his own glowing ammo.

"Ach!" He fell down from the three blows to his chest and Rogue turned and tossed one of hers at him as well. It exploded on impact splattering him with snow.

"That was a li'l ta easy." She was standing over him with one foot placed centered on his chest but was looking back up at the sky for Brian.

"Y' got me, Cherie." He scooped up a small handful of snow, charged it, and tossed it at her face. It exploded leaving her face and hair dripping wet.

"That's it, ya are so dead." She bent down and grabbed him by the collar of his coat and dragged him to his feet. I could see his coat glowing slightly pink as he licked his lips nervously but maintained his cocky grin. At that moment Brian came swooping over again leaving another cascade of snowballs. Using my telekinesis I flung the snowballs at him but when I missed I had them follow him like heat-seeking missiles. He continued dodging them and flew into a group of trees and out of my sight. I sighed as I let the snowballs fall as I began making new ones. ~Him and his stupid flying…how am I supposed to hit him?~

THE PSYCHES (A/N: This will just be a conversation between the psyches, no action will occur)

"You shouldn't help her like that."

"And why not, Messieur?"

"She'll become too dependent on us, that's why."

"But Cherie needs Remy's powers. Wit'out t'em she can't touch."

"She got along just fine before you showed up, Gumbo. I'm sure she'll be able to deal without your powers."

"Like, what are we supposed to do? Just sit back and like watch the show."

"Yes, if we keep helping her to much she'll become used to us always getting her out of tough scrapes."

"Non, she's t' smart and strong for t'at. She wouldn't abuse us like t'at."

"That's because she's afraid of us."

"No, like she's just confused that's all."

"I don't think so. You don't know what it was like before Half-Pint. She can shut us out anytime she wants to."

"Non, she wouldn't, would she?"

"Yes she would and she has. She's afraid of us and there's nothing we can do to change that."

"Remy's sorry for scaring her yesterday."

"Don't matter if you're sorry or not, Gumbo, she'll always be afraid. And someday she'll shut us out like she used to do."

"Like no way, she wouldn't do that to us. We're like her friends."

"Exactly, we're like her friends. We're not the real deal, Half-Pint, we're just second best to her. You'll never be her best friend, and you, Gumbo, will never be her boyfriend. We're just the irritating voices in her head that sound like the people she knows."

"So like what do we do? Like just stop giving her our powers to use."

"Exactly."

"Non, I won't do it."

"Gumbo, don't make me hurt you."

"What y' gonna do t' Remy, yell at him? Come on Messieur, we ain't got not'ing better t' do."

"That's not the point."

"So what is, Remy got a li'l lost after y' started talking."

"Ha, like good one!"

"Grrr…of all people, why you two?"

"Because, we're de people t'at Marie happened t' absorb."

"Just stop letting her use your powers."

"All right, homme. But Remy don't like it one bit."

"I honestly don't care whether or not you like it, Gumbo."

"Well, like I don't like it either. What if she like gets into a lot of trouble or something?"

"She'll just have to find another way out, Half-Pint."

GAMBIT

~Merde, what is it wit' her and charging up my coat?~ I tried t' keep a cocky grin as she gave me one of her murderous glares. "Y' real cute when y' 'bout t' kill someone."

"Ah'd shut up while ya ahead."

"Y' ain't me t'ough, Cherie." She continued t' charge my coat as Betsy and Brian had at it with their airborne snowballs. She glanced up at where Brian was flying overhead and I took my chance. I grabbed ont' her jacket as well and began charging it up.

"What the hell ya doin'?"

"Evening de playing field." She stared at me wide-eyed. "Y' need t' learn a new trick, Cherie." She got her composure back as she glared me down but she did uncharge my coat. "T'at's better, now what do y' say we do t'is my way?"

"Ya scum, ya tricked meh!" She was frowning in confusion as she looked at my coat t'at was no longer glowing.

"All's fair in love and war, Cherie, y' know t'at." I tilted my head t' de side and grinned. Her glare slowly changed int' a smirk t'at made me worry inwardly again.

"Then ya won't mind this." She leaned up and kissed me causing me t' lose de charge on her coat as she pushed me down int' de snow and planted her foot on my chest again.

"Haven't we already been down t'is road, Cherie?"

"Yeah, fool meh once, shame on ya. Fool meh twice, shame on meh." She kept her foot planted on my chest t'is time and made no signs of letting me up anytime soon. "Bets, ya see Brian anywhere?"

"Nope. I don't have a clue where he went, luv." I watched as a blur pelted de two of t'em wit' snowballs before disappearing back int' de trees.

"What the hell was that?!?!" ~Way t' go Brian! Didn't tell me he had super speed t'ough.~

"My brother…Brian come out here and face us like the wino you really are!" Brian came speeding back out of de trees so fast t'at he could have easily challenged Peitro.

"I'm only a wino because you're a sore loser." He was grinning and Rogue turned t' watch de two of t'em in t'eir battle of words. I caught her off guard, grabbed de foot she had on my chest throwing her off balance. I pulled her down t' de ground next t' me and rolled over on top of her pinning her down.

"Get off!"

"Not till y' surrender." She glared at me one last time and I couldn't help but grin at her.

"Fine, Ah surrender. Ya happy now?"

"Oui, but only one t'ing could make me happier."

"Yeah, what's that?" I leaned down and kissed her while Betsy and Brian kept arguing in de background.

"Oui, t'at is better." Her eyes were still closed when I pushed myself back up. I glanced over my shoulder t' see Betsy and Brian wrestling in de snow as I helped Marie back up. Brian put Betsy int' a headlock after another minute of struggling.

"Uncle! Let me go, bro." He grinned as he released his hold on her neck and brushed de snow off his clot'es. "You two cheat like there's no tomorrow." I shrugged as I walked back up t' de mansion beside Marie. Betsy was still ranting and raving 'bout how we had cheated as we took off our coats and trudged up de stairs t' change out of our wet clot'es.

ROGUE

After takin' a long hot shower, Ah changed inta a warm cozy sweater and quickly brushed the knots from mah hair before headin' back down stairs. "Hey luv, have a good shower?"

"Yeah, so where is everyone?"

"The community room. Beast's gonna do some reading from the bible for our own private 'midnight' mass." Ah looked down at mah watch ta see that it was only 7:00 pm.

"Little early for that, ain't it?"

"Yeah, but you know my brother, luv. He'll probably be up at the crack of dawn to open presents, so the earlier we get to bed the more sleep we might actually get." We walked inta the community room tagether ta find Remy, Brian, the professor, Beast, an' Logan already down there.

"'Bout time you two decided to join us."

"Sorry, its not like Ah didn't want ta catch pneumonia or somethin'." Logan shook his head as Ah sat down next ta Remy.

"Y' look absolutely beautiful, Cherie." Ah gave him a small shocked expression considerin' Ah looked like crap. "Y' t' modest." Ah blushed slightly as Ah leaned mah head on his shoulder. Bearin' in mind the solemnity of the occasion he simply held mah hand in his as we all quietly listened ta Beast read from the Bible.

GAMBIT

"So what have you kids been doing so far?" After seeing Beast so wrapped up in his reading only t'irty minutes earlier it was hard t' imagine him joking around wit' us over dinner.

"Oh, y' know de snowball fights, de pillow fights, t'at sort of t'ing."

"Sounds like all you've been doing is fighting, Gumbo."

"Non, I t'ink we did ot'er t'ings."

"Yeah, like what?" Logan was glaring at me de way a fat'er would glare at his daughter's latest boyfriend.

"Well, we just hung out. Ya know, teen stuff, like PS2 an' all that good stuff." ~Marie t' de rescue!~

"Right…"

"I'm glad to see that you all are enjoying yourselves."

"Of course, luv. Who wouldn't have fun in a place like this." Betsy and Brian were all smiles as t'ey dug int' de enormous turkey.

"Where'd you ever find a turkey this big?" De professor just smiled as he cut himself a piece off.

"You learn where to look when you have a mansion full of hungry teenagers." I couldn't help but feel like I was back home in New Orleans wit' my family. ~T'at's what t'ese people have become t' me--my family.~ I looked around de table t' see Logan, Beast, de professor, Betsy, Brian, and Marie all quietly eating. ~Family…t'at sounds so good t' me right now.~

"Are we eating to loudly for you, Gumbo?"

"Non, just taking it all in." Marie gave me a quick smile as she took my hand in hers beneat' de table.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Thanks for the rules to Kings, I'll definitely have to think about using it! I'm also glad to see some interest peeked over Remy's mysterious computer usage…it'll come in to play next chapter! Yeah, can't wait to write about gift giving!

Sorry about the chapter being so dang short, but it's really just fluff. Well, I'll post again soon!