To Err is Human
By Todd Fan
Disclaimer: "Go to sleep... And good night... La-la la la la la la... Dee-dee-dee... Dee-dee-dee... May your Christmas Days be bright"
Well, this should be strange, having a holiday chapter in September. But, hey, just use your imaginations. Heh heh.
Chapter 22 - A Winters Tale
For the Morlocks, holidays were celebrated as best they could. With most money found being spent on feeding the residents, most of the present-giving was for the younger Morlocks. Todd sighed as he watched Leech, Torpid and Artie gather around what could only be described as a 'Charlie Brown Christmas Tree'. Boy, he thought the Brotherhood one was pitifull.
"It's always nice to see them so happy", said Sidney by his side, nodding to the kids, "they don't have a whole lot in this world to be happy about"
Artie let little party poppers go off in a projection as he opened up his present. Inside was a slightly deflated football,but by the smile on the youngsters face, it could have been made of gold. He grinned, running over to Callisto, giving her a hug, before bouncing his ball along the ground. Torpid was equally happy with a new pair of gloves to deal with her growing, even if there was no way she'd ever grow into such oversized hands. Leech sighed, rolling his unopened box in his hands. This was his first Christmas without his mother. He blinked up as he felt a hand on his shoulder, looking up at Evan.
"Don't worry, Kid", he said, "we can't give you what you had before, but it's the best we can give"
"I know, Evan", said Leech, smiling, "thanks"
He opened up his gift, finding a framed picture of himself and his mother. The glass was cracked in one corner and the frame was coming apart but the picture was still in good shape.
"How?....", he whispered.
"A few of us got into your house after the police cleared out, we managed to sneak it out for you", said Evan
Leech smiled.
"Thank you....it means alot", he said, holding the picture close.
Sidney smiled, resting her head on Todd's shoulder.
"You're gonna miss it here, aren't ya?", he asked.
"Yeah, I will", sighed Sidney, "but I'll never forget them. I promised Callisto I'd spend the holidays here every year".
Todd smiled.
"Thanks for askin' me down here", he said, "it 'aint the ritz, but I think it's a handred times better".
Callisto, meanwhile was heading away through the tunnels, pausing to kiss Evan on the kiss and wish him a happy Kwanzaa, before disapearing in the tunnels. She eventually found Remy's cell. The Cajun in question was leaning against the wall, shuffling cards between his fingers, he glanced up as Callisto entered the room.
"Well, well", he smirked, "what do I owe de pleasure of a visit from de High-and-Mighty herself?"
Callisto sighed, fishing in her pockets.
"I came to give you your gift", she said
"Oh?", said Gambit, "let me guess...stewed rat?"
"No", said Callisto, fishing a set of keys out of her pocket, opening his cell, "your freedom"
Remy blinked for a moment, trying to take in this information.
"Pardon?"
"You can go", said Callisto, nodding to the open door, "you've served your time"
Remy smiled, tentively stepping out of his cell, just in case it was a trick. Since Callisto didn't move, he assumed it was genuine, stepping out fo the cell completely.
"Merci", he said with a nod of his head.
"Just go", said Callisto, turning away, "and if I see you anywhere near the Alley again, you will face your original punishment am I clear, Mr LeBeau?"
"Transparently", said Remy with a bow, before taking his chance, racing off for freedom.
In Dark Hollow, the holidays were also spent with the constant reminder of it's deziens they were outcasts. Though they, too, tried to fight it by keeping cheerfull about it. Maggot, Syrin, Sammy and Kyle had decided to make the most of the snow, and had started an all-out snowball war. Maggot and Sammy had ended up taking one side of the towns park, while Syrin and Kyle had taken the other. Each had built a snow-fort to hide behind, and to throw snowballs over.
"I am the king of snow!", shouted Maggot joyfully, Enie and Meany safely tucked inside him, his muscles well built as he sent a cascade of snowballs to the oposing team, "bow down to my snowfullness!"
"Snowfullness isn't even a WORD!", shouted Kyle from his side.
"I don't care, we have you beat and you know it!", laughed Maggot.
"Team cold-blood rules!", said Sammy...despite the fact neither he nor Maggot were cold-blooded.
"Okay, sick 'em Syrin", said Kyle.
Syrin launched herself into the air after a break in the fire.
"Oh...poo", said Maggot as Syrin took a deep breath.
From her mouth came a sonic scream, Kyle had already burried his head in the snow, to avoid his sensitive hearing getting hurt. The sonic blast hit 'Team cold-blood's' snow fort, crumbling it to nothingness, forcing Sammy and Maggot to cover their ears. Syrin dropped her scream, as Kyle bombarded the oposing team with snowballs.
"Who is the king of snow now?!", he mocked.
Lizzie had been watching this from the porch of the house she shared with Lucas, chuckling lightly. Their antics reminded her of her family back in Kentucky. Sure, she acted like they weren't that important to her, but she still loved them dearly, it was times like this she missed them. A hand suddenly dropped on her shoulder, causing her to jump, brining her out of her thoughts.
"Homesick already?", asked Lucas with a half-smile.
Lizzie chuckled, smiling back.
"No use lyin' to a telepath", she said, "ah'll be fine, this is ma'h home now"
"Good", said Lucas, before his smile flatered slightly, "ye...ye would tell me if ye wanted tae leave..right?"
"A'h wouldn't need to tell ya, Lucas", said Lizzie, then arched a brow, "do a'h sense a little bit of insecurity in our fearless leader?"
Lucas smirked, taking the look off his face.
"Not possible", he said with a grin, wrapping his arms around her, "how long do ye think the 'great warriors' will last?"
"A'h give them ten minutes, at most", she said, chuckling, ducking as a stray snowball almost hit them, only to have Lucas telekenetically toss it back, "thanks...a'h think it's gettin' a little too close for comfort now".
She grabbed his hand, leading him back inside the warmth of the house. Across the way, Alex was sitting by the window in the comunity centre. He winced, rubbing his hands, the pain was always worse in winter. And he was starting to get more homesick than Lizzie. Not for his adopted family..no...just to be back on the island was all he wanted. He may not have been born there, but it was the only home his heart knew.
"Aloha 'oe, Aloh 'oe, E ke onaona noho i ka lipo", he sang softly, watching the snow fall, "One fond embrace, A ho'i a'e au, Until we meet again".[1]
"Oh gee, I feel like doing a hula dance", came Lorna's voice sarcastically, "give it a rest, Summers, I'm concentrating"
"Sorry", said Alex, glancing over to where she was sitting cross-legged on the floor, bits of metal floating all around her in lazy circles, "I didn't know I wasn't alowed to feel nostalgic for my homeland"
Lorna sighed, letting the metal drop.
"What's so great about 'home'?", she asked, "that's all any of you lot talk about. Maggot and Africa, Kyle and Canada, you and Hawaii. The only one that DOESN'T talk about a home is me, you know why?"
"No", said Alex amusedly, "but I have a feeling you'll tell me"
"Because there is no such thing as 'home'. It's just a happy little illusion that people create to think they have soemthing to go back to, when they really don't", she said, "I never had a home, so I can keep going ahead in my life, with nothing holding me back"
"You had to come from somewhere", pointed out Alex with a small shrug.
Lorna's normally angry face disipated for a second, seeming almost...sad, before the hard features returned.
"I don't come from anywhere", she said, then looked up at him, "Alex, did your adoptive parents ever lie to you...about your past?"
Alex blinked at this sudden interest in his life, before sighing, shaking his head.
"No, but they couldn't really lie to me about being adopted, I was too old", he said, frowning slightly, "I saw the plane my parents were in crash...I..I saw Scott's parachute catch on fire and saw him fall to the ground. No lie they couldn have thought up would have gotten rid of THOSE images"
"Oh", said Lorna, her eyes narrowing, the metal around her rippling, "mine lied. They said my parents were dead, but I found out my father is alive...even if I don't know who or where he is. They made me die my hair brown, to hide my mutation. I hate them"
Alex sighed, hopping off his perch to sit next to her.
"Take a deep breath", he said, demonstrating one, "in....and out"
Lorna looked at him quizically, before doing so.
"There, that feels good, doesn't it?", said Alex.
Lorna blinked, before groaning.
"You're trying to have sex with me, aren't you?" [2]
"No I'm not, really", laughed Alex, "just trying to teach you to be a bit more laid back. You shouldn't be so uptight, Lorna, you'll make yourself ill"
Lorna gave a defeated sigh.
"Thanks, Alex", she said, standing, "but I don't like 'laid back', it doesn't suit me"
Alex sighed, watching ehr leave the room. It was a pitty she couldn't see what a beautifull and strong person she was...well..in Havoks' eyes, anyway.
In Chicago, Kitty shifted uneaily in her seat, looking at the clock.
"So, Sweetie", said Mr Pryde, "what is this 'suprise' you have for us?"
Kitty gave a nervous laugh.
"Oh...you'll see", she said, suddenly jumping at the sound of a horn outside, "Oh, here we are!"
She dashed out ahead of her parents as Lance's jeep came ot a stop. She grinned, flinging her arms around him, giving him a kiss.
"You came!", she said happily.
"Yeah", smiled Lance, "I'll throw myself to the proverbial lions for you, Pretty-Kitty"
The Pryde's grinned happily as they followed Kitty outside. Their grins turned into creepy grimaces-pretending-to-be-smiles when they saw exactly what their 'suprise' was.
"I thought she got rid of that guy", said Mr Pryde through clenched teeth.
"So did I", replied Mrs Pryde in a similar fashion, "just keep smiling"
Meanwhile, Lance and Kitty were preforming the exact same jesture.
"This was a bad, bad idea, Kitty", said Lance, "they hate me"
"My parents don't hate you, Lance", said Kitty, "look, they're smiling"
"That looks like clenching", said Lance, then whimpered, "I wanna go.."
"Home", said Mr Pryde, "I can't believe she brought that guy home with her, the one who...".
"Brought a school on their heads", said Lance, "that's all they'll remember about me"
"Don't be silly, Lance", said Kitty as they continued to her parents, "they don't think you're a.."
Mr Pryde's teeth began to make creaking noises from the pressure he was putitng on them.
"Rebel. A complete washout going..."
"Nowhere", said Lance, "would be better than here. You're parents completely..."
"Hate the fact she didn't tell us to expect company first", said Mrs Pryde, "she doesn't even.."
"Think about their feelings, Lance, they'll accept you..."
"Really, I don't know...."
"Who do you think I am..."
"A good-guy. That's what our girl should have and she should..."
"Never, ever leave the house again" [3]
By this time, they had finally met at the doors of the Pryde family home.
"Mom, Dad", said Kitty, hugging Lance's arm, "this is Lance. He's here to spend the holidays with us. You remember Lance, right?"
"Vividly", growled Mr Pryde.
Mrs Pryde gave a nervous laugh.
"Lets all go inside and have cookies in the shape of menorahs!" [4]
The Brotherhood house was suprisingly empty. With Todd spending time with Sidney, Lance over in Chicago and Freddy being invited to spend the holidays with Rosemary, the place was quiet. Very quiet. Too quiet.
FWWWWOOOOOOOF
Okay, not anymore.
"PYRO!"
Pietro sped around the kitchen, trying to put out Pyro's latest 'acident'.
"What?", saidPyro inocently from where he was watching TV, "the kitchen was like that when I got up, honest"
Pietro scowled at him, putting out the fire as Wanda stomped down the stairs.
"You're up!", said Pietro joyfully.
".....Yeah", said Wanda, eyeing her twin suspiciously, "...and?"
Pietro's face turned into that pleading one that always meant he wanted something.
"No", she replied, cutting him off quickly.
"I haven't said anything yet!", protested Pietro, "look, Sis, I have this really, really, REALLY hot date. And I doubt I'll get the chance again with this girl.Y'know, once you stand her up, that's it, nothing, no more! No second chances!"
Wanda crossed her arms.
"I am NOT staying alone in this house with 'Flamey Joe'", she snapped.
"Well, someone has to watch him, to make sure the house doesn't burn down"
"Pietro, my answer is..."
Her brother vanished in a gust of wind.
"Thank Sis!"
Wanda blinked in shock.
"PIETRO!"
But it was too late, he brother was gone. Muttering under her breath, she stomped into the living room, where Pyro was watching TV. She walked in front of the screen, blocking his view.
"Okay, these are the rules", she said, "while my brother isn't here, there will be no fire of any kind. No flickers, flames, NOTHING, am I clear?"
Pyro blinked at her inocently.
"Me? Set a fire? Never!"
"You JUST set one in the kitchen!", she snapped.
"Oh", said Pyro, coughing, "that was only a LITTLE fire"
"I don't care, I am NOT spending my time putting out fires, are we CLEAR?"
Pyro rolled his eyes.
"Okay, no fires", he said defeatedly, "can I watch my movie now?"
"Fine", growled Wanda, steping aside, turning to see the movie on TV, "...is that Miracle on 34th street?"
"Yeah", said Pyro, grinning, "call me a sap, but it's the best movie - ever!"
"I....I used to watch that in the asylum when I was a kid", she said, looking at it fondly, before snapping herself out of it, "stupid film, so corny"
"It's the movie's cornyness that makes it so good", said Pyro, "...of course, when I was a kid, Santa came in on a surfboard"[5]
Wanda blinked, looking at him.
"Are you serious?"
Pyro shrugged.
"He couldn't drive his sled in Oz at Crimbo", he explained, "wot with it being summer an' all"
"Santa never comes at all to kids locked away", said Wanda quietly, heading off to her room.
[1] - Aloha 'oe (Farewell to thee). I've always thought this is a very beautifull song. My favorite version was sung by Tia Carrere for 'Lilo and Stitch'.
[2] - A fun quote from 'Life - or something like it', always makes me laugh.
[3] - Shrek 2, anyone? I couldn't resist it, really.
[4] - As seen in friends, I must admit, I'd like to try the cream-filled Jeasuses.
[5] - Apparently, this is a real Austrailian Christmas tradition. I think it's pretty nifty. Surfing Santa rocks, big time!
And there's another chapter done. Awww, poor Wanda. And Alex, poor him too.