Christmas in France

To mattb3671: Hey there matt! What is going on with Marie-Claire? Why don't we all find out? The suspense shall be ended here. You are very welcome. Enjoy the new chapter, and I can hardly wait to read the new chapter of "X-Men is Australian for Mutant". Please put it up quick!

To Raliena: Hey there Rae! Yeah, following the screaming is always a good idea if you're a superhero. It tells you where the action is. Enjoy the new chapter, Rae!

To Red Witch: Hey there, Red Witch! I read your new one-shots and your new fic "Welcome to the Dark Side" and I loved it. Yeah, I do so enjoy creating mayhem, destruction and insanity in the Misfit-verse. It's a lot of fun. Enjoy the new chapter, and I can hardly wait to read more from you!

Disclaimer: "We gotta protect our phony-baloney jobs!" - Mel Brooks as Governor William J. Lepitomaine, Blazing Saddles (One of my favorite movies. Mel Brooks was hilarious in it)

Chapter 17: Christmas Madness Ends!

The d'Agastino Christmas Party, Paris

"Well, zis turned out be a fine party." Gerard sighed as he looked around the ballroom. It was a wreck. Tables, silverware, and plates were all in shambles, mixed in with pieces of Overkill, which were being collected by the Joes. Ali noticed Marie-Claire sitting at a corner, her back to the wall. The Farrah-haired mutant blinked and slowly approached the French girl.

"Uhm…Marie-Claire…" Ali said.

"I…am tired." Marie-Claire sighed. "I…do not wish to talk to them right now." Ali blinked in confusion. Not too long ago, Marie-Claire was acting like the stereotypical spoiled brat, but now she looked traumatized. Ali noticed Theresa examine a piece of Overkill's metal shell.

"Theresa, what happened to the brat over there?" Ali asked Theresa, pointing at the dark-haired French girl with her thumb. Theresa looked at Marie-Claire and sighed.

"We got into a bit of a scrap when were bringing the B.E.T. to safety in the basement, and some feelings got left out." Theresa sighed. "Poor girl lost her mother at an early age. To ease her pain, she developed the belief that her mother turned her back on her and her father and abandoned them." The two girls watched Gerard check on his daughter and sit with her. "She's lucky, ye know. She's glad she's got a father like him. Plus, she got to know her mother. I never had the chance."

"I'm sure she's proud of you, Theresa." Ali smiled, putting a hand on Theresa's shoulder. "You lead a bunch of lunatics."

"Lucky me." Theresa rolled her eyes. "What a Christmas. Fighting robots."

"It could be worse." Kyle shrugged. "You could be spending Christmas with my family." Kyle started laughing. "The Thunderbolt says, whenever you get a whole bunch of Wildfires in one room, a brawl always breaks out. Last year, the family laid a royal smackdown on a whole bunch of mailmen."

Elsewhere in Paris

"I AM NAPOLEON!!!" Senator Kelly screamed. He was shackled into a stretcher as a couple of paramedics loaded the screaming senator into the back of an ambulance. Two French citizens were watching.

"What happened?" One French guy asked another French guy.

"The American accidentally walked in on a mime convention and got horrified." The second French guy replied. The first French person nodded.

Malibu Base

"Man, that was some adventure!" Theresa smiled as she and the other West Coast Misfits entered The West Coast Misfit Manor through the kitchen door.

"Speak for yourself!" Terrell grumbled. "I got captured!"

"You weren't the only one." Thunderbird added with his own grumble. "I finally met a girl who could speak English only to get taken down by an overgrown tin can. I hate my life."

"Oh, relax Thunderbird." Tommy grinned. "I got the number of that bird I was talking to in the club." Terrell and John groaned.

"I hate you, Sharpe." John growled in a confused Tommy's face. Tommy just blinked. Rahne sighed.

"Don't mind him, Tommy. He's just frustrated because the mission nae went well for him." Rahne reassured. Kyle walked into the living room. His eyes widened.

"HOLY GUACAMOLE!!!" Kyle's voice erupted from the living room. The other West Coast Misfits looked at each other, then raced inside the room. Their dropped right through the floor in shock. The Christmas tree in the room had presents under the tree. Kyle jumped up and down in place like a hyperactive little maniac.

"Holy Toledo…" Ace blinked. The West Coast Misfits looked at each other for a couple minutes, and then they tore into the presents.

"Aw SWEET!!!!" Kyle whooped. "SmackDown vs. Raw! This game is awesome!"

"Hmm…" Toshi picked up a present. "I don't celebrate this holiday."

"Just open it, Toshi. Ye'll love it!" Rahne grinned. Toshiro opened up his present and was presently surprised.

"A bonsai tree. Thank you." The Japanese mutant smiled. Bonsai trees were considered art in Toshi's native Japan.

"Hey neat." John grinned, pulling out a traditional Apache necklace. "This is very nice."

"Aw, how cute." Rahne smiled, holding up a stuffed wolf. "He's absolutely adorable."

"A shillelagh!" Theresa squealed, holding up the wooden cane. "Me uncle had one of these." She also noticed a thank-you card from Marie-Claire.

"Well, hello…" Ace unwrapped his gift, a blue Gretsch. Ace was shocked. "A Gretsch! They stopped making these in the 80s! They are collectors' items! Wow! I've got to play this thing!"

"What's this?" X23 held up a stuffed animal.

"It's a wolverine, Athena." Ace replied. X23 stared at the small animal.

"Doesn't look like him." X23 blinked confusedly.

"More Mexican sports jerseys!" Rictor whooped happily. "You can't get these in America."

"Gunbarrel got those in Mexico while he and a couple of the guys were on a tequila bender." Quick-Kick said as he and Kicker walked into the room.

"That would explain why Whithalf told us that Gunbarrel and Burner are in jail in Tijuana." Kicker rolled her eyes.

"The Thunderbolt's Uncle George went to jail in Tijuana." Kyle added.

"Yup, you're not a Joe until you've been in jail." Thunderbird quipped.

"Hey look! CDs!" Dazzler grinned happily.

"Aw dude! A new surfboard! Rad!" Beast King whooped.

"Oh, very funny guys." Terrell held up his new book. "'Hugh Hefner's Guide to Getting Women'."

"He's an old friend of the family." Ace said. A laughing Jester could be seen running by the house. Everyone inside looked at each other.

"JESTER!!!!!!" Hardcase roared as he chased after Jester. He looked like Bigfoot with silver tinsel for fur. "GET THIS GARBAGE OFF ME!!!"

"I've got to use this new spice encyclopedia sometime." Tommy grinned.

"Hey neat…" Longshot looked at the ornate golden dagger in his hand. "This is so neat."

"Did you kids get what you wanted?" Kicker smiled.

"Yup!" The kids chorused.

"Hey, there's one for you guys." Ace handed them a couple presents. Kicker opened her present and pulled out a small gold necklace with a couple symbols on it.

"They're the Japanese and Korean symbols for love." Quick-Kick smiled. The girls (except Athena) let out an "Awwwwwwww", and Kyle did the thumb down the throat motion.

"Open yours, Quick." Kicker said. "I saw those at a fair and they screamed you. And you were a big fan."

"I'll say!" Quick-Kick grinned as he held up a pair of gold nunchucks. "Willy Dee used this weapon in his greatest movie, 'Fists of Ice'!"

"That movie was so goofy!" Kyle exclaimed. "Although the part where he threw that beehive full of angry bees down the villain's pants was pretty cool."

"Yeah, it was." Ace agreed. He then looked at his watch. "Hey you guys, isn't it the big Christmas Party going on downtown right now?" The kids and two Joes looked at each other and raced out the door.

Well, well, well! Looks like our heroes had an amazing Christmas! What insanity will happen next time? Find out soon! This is L1701E, signing off!