(A/N: Really the only changes here are to the list of songs from Remy and maybe one or two tiny little edits. *Shrug. Read and enjoy.)

FYI:

~Personal Thoughts~

~"Inner Voices"~

ESP

%The Written Word%

[Flashback]

"Normal Conversation (Duh)"

PSYLOCKE

"Wakie, wakie, eggs and bakie, luv." I was hovering over Rouge's bed gently shaking her so that she would wake up.

"Ugh…what time is it?" She refused to open her eyes and rolled over tugging the blankets up over her head.

"Eight o'clock, luv. Time to get up."

"Ta early." The response came out slightly muffled by the layers of quilts and comforters.

"No way! You're telling me, you're not the least bit interested to see what Remy got you for Christmas."

"What, it's Christmas?!?!" She sat straight up in her bed nearly knocking me off my feet. She jumped up and ran to her closet pulling out clothes and ran out of the room grabbing her toiletries at the last possible second. I shrugged as I walked over to the mirror to apply a little make-up. ~What's the deal girl? There isn't anybody here to impress.~ I sighed as I put on a smidgen of lip gloss before walking down the hall. I rapped on the bathroom door where Rogue was hurriedly taking a shower.

"Luv, you gonna have to hurry up in there or Brian'll have all of his and your presents unwrapped. You know how he gets."

"Just one more minute!" I heard the shower turn off and the blow dryer turn on as I went back into our shared room. ~That girl, constantly dressing to a tee just to impress Remy. Doesn't she see that he could care less what she looks like?~ I sighed as I looked at myself again in the mirror before reaching under my bed to pull out my load of gifts. It had been really difficult to buy anything for the adults since I didn't know anything about them but Rogue had told me enough. ~Why can't I find a guy like Remy, who'll just love me for me, despite all my little imperfections?~ Without realizing it I'd been staring into the mirror at the frowning purple-haired bombshell. ~Forget it luv, you're not going to find a guy looking all depressed like this.~ I put on a smile thinking how much fun Brian would have opening the gift I'd bought for him and what Rogue would think as well. ~She's one of the first people to be my friend. Not surprising though when most people turn their noses up a the mutant freak.~ As if on cue, Rogue came flying back into the room with her hair dried and a red cashmere sweater thrown on with a black knee length skirt. She ducked back into her closet searching the bottom and came back up with a pair of stylish black boots. She then dove underneath her bed pulling out her own gifts to hand out.

"You ready yet, luv?"

"Yeah, Ah'm a li'l out of breathe though."

"No kidding, I think you just set a new world record." She grinned as we walked down the hall towards the front stairs.

"Yeah, it kinda helps when ya motivation is a cute guy with a mysterious gift."

"What did you get him though?" She smiled mischievously as we hit the bottom of the stairs and turned towards the community room where we could already hear Brian.

"Ya'll see."

ROGUE

Brian was sittin' beneath the Christmas tree like an anxious li'l toddler would have been while Remy stood by a window peerin' out at the freshly fallen snow.

"This is great! Bets check this out, it's a package from Jamie!" Remy turned ta roll his eyes at Brian's enthusiasm but smiled at meh as Ah walked over ta him.

"Oh, let me see!" Betsy ran over to her brother's side as he tore the paper off of a package. Inside were two more packages wrapped in gold foil. Betsy made a grab for one of them that was much smaller than the other.

"Hey, how do you know that one's yours?"

"Duh, the best gifts always come in small packages, and the girl always gets the best gift." She stuck out her tongue as she peeled the foil wrapping away carefully revealing a small jewelry box. She gasped as she opened it to reveal a golden locket. "Oh, it's so pretty!" She quickly opened it up ta reveal a picture of what Ah guessed ta be her family. Brian then tore the paper off the other package ta reveal a larger framed version of the same picture. Betsy noticed somethin' else in the box and made a dive for it but Brian beat her ta it thanks ta his super speed. "Hey come on let me read it!" She lunged at him trying ta get the paper out of his fist but failed miserably as he jumped up and held the paper out of her reach.

"No way, I'm reading it. Huh?" The paper slid out of his fist on its own and floated down ta Betsy.

"You've got speed, I've got telekinesis, luv. 'Dear Brother and Sister, I hope that you're enjoying the United States. What is it like in New York? Mother and Father send their love for the holidays." Brian grabbed the paper back an' began readin' it himself.

"We all sorely miss you and hope that the institute will be able to help you. Hope you like the gifts; just something to remind you of your family trapped here in this rainy miserable London. Love your brother, Jamie." His voice faltered for a moment as he stared blankly at the paper.

"What is it, luv?"

"P-S. Strike says hi."

"What!" She grabbed the paper back from him an' outta the corner of mah eye Ah saw Logan raise an eyebrow in interest. ~Logan, who's Strike? What do ya know?~ Ah didn't get a reply from mah psyche which worried meh a little. ~Come on ya guys, ya been ta quiet.~ Ah still received no reply as Betsy attempted ta regain her composure. "Ha ha, good joke, how 'bout it Bro?"

"Yeah, right." Brian didn't sound ta convinced that Jamie had been jokin' about whatever Strike was.

"Here, Brian." She pushed one of her gifts tawards him an' he took it still lookin' a li'l dazed 'bout the letter. Betsy stood up an' passed the rest of her gifts around the room ta the adults, Remy, an' Ah.

"Ya didn't have ta."

"I know, but you guys are my first real friends other than my brothers." Ah stared down at the gold foil wrapped package a li'l in shock. Of course, Ah'd gotten somethin' for her so it wouldn't seem ta awkward but Ah'd never expected her ta get meh somethin'.

"Thanks."

"Go ahead and open it, luv. I promise it won't bite you." Ah smiled as I pulled the foil away ta reveal a clothin' box. Ah tore the tape off that was keepin' it closed an' found a beautiful lavender shade sheer long-sleeve top.

"Wow, thank ya. It's beautiful." She smiled sheepishly as Remy began tearin' inta his gift. He opened it ta find a book 'bout European museums. "Am Ah missin' somethin' here?"

"Um…it's just a little private joke, luv. You know with us having worked together stealing stuff for Sinister." ~Uh huh, an' Ah was born yesterday. Oh well, its Christmas an' Ah ain't gonna be the one ta spoil the cheer.~

"T'ank y', Petite." Brian showed up at his sister's elbow with two more packages in his hands which he promptly handed ta us grinnin' from ear ta ear.

"Go ahead, open 'em." Ah opened mine ta find the latest Garbage cd. ~Must have gotten a li'l help from Remy ta know Ah like Garbage.~

"Thanks, their mah favorite."

"Yeah, I know." He gave Remy a small wink as he opened his ta find a book on every kind of poker game imaginable.

"What's wit' all de books? Don't y' t'ink I'm very bright so I need t' read more?"

"No, luv. I guess it's just a British thing. We always exchange books so…it was just a reminder of home." She kinda got a faraway look on her face but recovered quickly as she got a sly smile on her face.

"What is it Bets?" Ah glared at her suspiciously wonderin' what she could be up ta.

"I just got a really good vibe off of someone."

"An' what's that supposed ta mean?" She kept her sly smile as Logan walked up ta us.

"Here kid." He pushed a small unwrapped jewelry box tawards meh. Remy looked at it suspiciously rememberin' what had happened when he'd left in September. Ah cracked it open ta find a pair of keys inside.

"What's this?"

"Remember the bike of mine you scratched last Spring?"

"Uh huh." He made a small nod with his head tawards the keys danglin' from mah hand. "Ya didn't! Oh thank ya so much!" Ah gave him a huge hug as Remy gave a small sigh of relief that it had been keys rather than a ring or somethin'.

"Well, I figured since you'd ruined it you might as well have it."

"Just keep tellin' yaself that." Ah released mah strangle hold on him as he crossed his arms over his chest an' took on that fatherly role again.

"You know you're not allowed driving it until the weather clears and you go get a permit…"

"Ah know, Ah'll be a good li'l girl an' not pull dangerous stunts on that piece of dangerous machinery that ya just gave meh." He gave meh a small grin as he tousled mah hair some an' went across the room ta talk ta the professor. "Ya knew didn't ya, Bets." She gave meh another sly smile as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Betsy, Brian could I have a word with you?" Both of their faces fell as they turned ta leave the room with the adults. ~Come on Logan, even if ya are mad at meh, please tell meh what Strike is an' why it's got them so down.~ Ah received no answer from any of mah psyches which was just about tearin' meh apart since Ah'd grown so accustomed ta their constant chatter.

GAMBIT

De two of us were standing in de room alone now beside de big picture window where we could see de snow starting t' fall again. "Marie…here." I handed her a small box that was de same size as de one Brian had given her. ~Mon Dieu, I hope she likes it.~ I'd wrapped it in a red paper which she removed and allowed t' fall t' de floor. She stared at de CD case. De cover of it was a sketch I'd done in black and red of de two of us. In it I was standing behind her holding her in my arms as she leaned back against meh. She opened it and pulled out de li'l booklet I'd made t'at listed all de songs. Next t' each song title, I'd written a short explanation as t' why I chose it. Her eyes glistened slightly wit' tears but she was laughing. "Somet'ing y' want t' share?" ~Not de reaction I expected.~ I was caught between feeling hurt and surprised but I did my best not t' show it.

"It's just…well, here ya'll see." She was still laughing as she handed me a package of de exact same size. I tore off the green paper t' find a CD case t'at had a simple red and green heart on de front. "Go ahead, open it." I opened it and glanced at de list of songs and began laughing as well. Nearly half de songs we had burnt for each ot'er were de exact same.

"Great minds must t'ink alike."

"Yeah, although it could just be ya rubbin' off on meh."

"Non, I t'ink it's de ot'er way around." I smiled down at her as she t'rew her arms around mah neck. ~Oh good, I get one t'!~ She went back t' reading de list of songs.

"Now lets see. Fragile Heart--our first slow dance; Everything--our second slow dance and quite a bit better then the first;" She smiled and laughed a li'l. ~Mon Dieu, t'at's a beautiful sound.~ "Bring Me To Life--without you life isn't worth living; Real Good Man--I may be a real bad boy, but around you I'm a real good man; Drink, Steal, Swear, and Lie--I'd do any of the above to keep you. Ya better not be drinkin' Sugah. It's bad enough that Ah found out ya smoke." She gave me a warning glare before going back t' de list. "Ain't Nothin' 'Bout You--that doesn't drive me crazy; God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You—the song title says it all mon Cherie; You Could Be The One—that fate has dealt me and I must say fate dealt me a winning hand; My Everything—everything that means anything to me is you; The Only One For Me Is You—because everything else pales in comparison; Hey Juliet—I'm your Romeo but this won't end in tragedy, I promise; Love Me When I'm Gone—even though I never plan on leaving your side; I Melt—everytime you walk into the room; Lady Marmalade—use your imagination on this one, Cherie. Remy, this is really sweet."

"Non, just somet'ing…" She t'rew her arms around my neck again and shut me up wit' a kiss.

"Ya were sayin'?" She pulled away so t'at our faces were barely an inch apart.

"Not'ing." I closed de distance between us as I kissed her again. I moved one of my hands behind her head for support as I allowed de ot'er one t' slide down her back. I could feel one of her hands fingering my hair while de ot'er was placed on de side of my face.

"Ah Hem!" We bot' jumped back as we stared at de doorway where a very angry looking Logan stood. His arms were crossed across his chest as he leaned against de door frame glaring at us menacingly. "What do you two think you're doing?"

"Not'ing, Messieur." I was scared witless as I remembered how much of a fat'er type he tended t' be wit' Rogue. I masked de fear t'ough wit' my perfected cocky grin.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, Gumbo, before I do it for you."

"T'at ain't very Christmasy now is it Wolvie?"

"Do I look like I give a damn?"

"Non, but it was wort' a try." I gave Marie a quick peck on de forehead and a wink before brushing past Logan and heading back upstairs.

"Hey Gumbo."

"Oui, Messieur."

"Just remember you hurt her and I'll just have to hurt you." ~Merde, he ain't very subtle is he?~ He was glaring up de stairs at me and I turned around glaring right back.

"Oui, I'll keep t'at in mind."

PSYLOCKE

"You wanted to talk to us about something?"

"Yes, would you sit down?" For the third time in a week I found myself sitting in the professor's office. However, I'd never been this nervous before. ~What could they possibly know about S.T.R.I.K.E.? Do they know the real reason Brian and I are here? No, that's not possible, we haven't mentioned S.T.R.I.K.E. until now.~ I looked up to see Logan standing in the pack of the room with his arms crossed over his chest looking slightly angry. ~Duh, he worked for S.H.E.I.L.D. Of course he probably knows what S.T.R.I.K.E. is.~

"So umm…what do you want to know?" Brian was practically a nervous wreck all of his Christmas spirit shot through the roof.

"First off, I wanna know what two kids like yourselves has to do with Strike." The professor was resting his chin on his folded hands while Logan berated us from behind.

"Well, it's a little complicated, luv."

"Well, we're just all ears."

"Logan please. Betsy how are connected with Strike?"

"I kinda work for them."

"Kind of! Nobody just kind of works for an agency like Strike." I glanced over my shoulder at Logan who seemed like he was about ready to blow a gasket.

"I work for them in the psi department, Brian has nothing to do with them though. So if you're angry don't take it out on him." Brian shot me a grateful glance but wasn't about to have his sister take all his trouble for him.

"I came with her willingly on this mission." ~You dope! Why'd you mention that it's a mission!~

"A mission, huh? Knew Strike didn't just let their agents slip through the cracks."

"What is the nature of your mission, Betsy?" I took a big gulp of air before going into all the details.

"When I worked with Remy to steal a jewel for Sinister I was working undercover for Strike. My job was to find information out about Sinister and whatever his plans were at the time being and stop him at any cost. Remy didn't seem to know anything in particular about Sinister's plans and didn't seem to care much either. He was more anxious to come back home, here. Since I couldn't find anything out other than Sinister was located in New York and that he had an interest in the jewel, my mission seemed to be a failure and that I aided the enemy more than aiding my cause. Things got complicated though when Remy and Rogue took on Sinister themselves and now he's gone further into hiding. Strike still has no idea where he is exactly nor what his plans are. So they sent me here to flush him out and make sure he's down and out for good. They probably had Jamie mention it as a little reminder that I'm here on work."

"And they just let you bring your brother along for kicks?"

"No, I asked them…and they let me, surprisingly."

"Why do you say that, Betsy?"

"I got into a little trouble in England."

"Little doesn't begin to describe it, Sis. She blew her cover as a mutant in front of a large crowd. She became a liability and after a little persuasion were we able to talk them into letting her come to the States to escape the lime light." I sighed a little more. ~I really did screw up, but I couldn't let that little kid get hurt. That mob was gonna tear him to shreds just because he was a mutant. I had to do something. I'm surprised S.T.R.I.K.E. is even allowing me to live right now.~ The professor gazed at Brian and I for a little while as he contemplated our story.

"You are both welcome to stay here as long as you wish."

"Really?" We both spoke out at the same time.

Jinx!

You got me, Sis. I owe you one soda. He was starting to smile a little at the prospect of staying and the fact that I beat him once more at mental jinxes.

Good, I'll get it later.

"Of course."

"You should just be grateful Strike hasn't killed you yet."

"I know. I blew it big time." I looked down into my lap thinking all of it over. "I'd really like to stay here, but I'm afraid that after I find Sinister, I'll have to go back."

"I don't understand. Why do you feel that way?"

"If I don't go back to working for Strike they could very easily take out their frustrations on my family. I can't let that happen."

"I'll see if there's anything I can do to help."

"I don't think you can, luv, but I appreciate the offer." I stood up ending the conversation and left the office with Brian closely following me.

"Are you alright, Sis?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Wouldn't it be nice if we really could stay here. They all seem pretty nice."

"Uh huh."

"You miss Jamie, Mum, and Dad, don't you?"

"Uh huh."

"Are you mad at me for reading that out loud?"

"No, they would have figured it out sooner or later. I was just hoping for later rather than sooner."

GAMBIT

~Have t' admit it was pretty comical t'at we got each ot'er de same t'ing basically.~ I looked down at de CD and read t'rough de book she'd made t' go wit' it. She had doodled hearts and 'I Love You's t'roughout it beside de song titles and descriptions.

%Fragile Heart—our first dance

Everything—our second dance

I'm With You—You're always there for me

Bonnie and Clyde—We're a team, through and through

Save Me—You've always been my knight in shining armor

U & ME = LOVE—doesn't that just say it all right there?

My All—I'd give everything for you

If You Asked Me To—I'd do anything

Bring Me To Life—Life didn't begin until you came along

The Only One For Me Is You—I hope you feel the same

Losing Grip—I'd lose my grip if you left me again

Sweet Temptation—Your love is so tempting%

~Kinda funny how we seem t' t'ink alike. What would I do wit'out a girl like her? Not hard t' figure out--I'd still be a t'ief and would have ended back up in New Orleans--wit' Bella.~

ROGUE

Ah'd changed inta some more comfortable clothes—a tank an' shorts—as Ah popped the CD Remy had given meh inta the CD player. ~Let's see which one do Ah play first?~ I punched the foreword button a few times till Ah heard the familiar voice of Tim McGraw start singing 'Real Good Man'. "Hey Rogue."

"Hey, ya just get done talkin' ta the professor?"

"Yeah. Sooo…what'd he get you?" ~She's avoidin' the subject. Can Ah blame her? Not even psyche Logan wants ta tell meh what S.T.R.I.K.E. is. Or psyche Logan is just refusin' ta talk ta meh period.~

"The same thin' Ah got him. We burnt each other CDs." Ah grinned as Ah handed her the case for the CD Remy had made for meh.

"That's soo cute! Oh, just look at all these love songs. And he sketched all throughout the book!"

"Ah know, it's really mushy, but it's so sweet ta. Ah feel bad 'cause mah doodles look like crap compared ta his."

"I doubt that. You're so lucky to have a guy like him, luv." ~Do Ah ever know that! Without him, Ah'd probably be goin' up the walls or somethin'.~ As she handed meh the CD case back she put a hand on mah shoulder an' Ah instantly felt that tuggin' that always came when Ah absorbed someone. "What the…" Her knees buckled an' she fell limp ta the floor as Ah stood rooted ta the spot.

"Oh mah God! Betsy, are ya ok? Come on talk ta meh. Betsy!" ~Why'd Ah absorb her? What went wrong? Everythin' was under control this break!~ Ah turned an' stared inta the mirror where two green eyes stared back at meh. ~Oh shit…~

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Sorry about the cliff hanger but it just seemed like a good spot to stop.

So what do you think of Betsy's mysterious past? How 'bout the gift exchange? That really did happen for my two friends where they both exchanged nearly the exact same CD because their brains are connected or something. I don't know how that whole dating thing works in the real world so I think it's funny but she'll probably kill me for writing about it. *Shrug. Oh well, I'll just keep writing from the grave! Long live FanFic!

Thanks for the links to the Kings game Rogue4787!