Santa's a WHAT?
"Merry Christmas, Scott!" Jean said cheerfully as she jump/tackled her friend from behind. He almost fell flat on his face from lack of balance.
"Jean! You scared the living daylights out of me! Don't do that!" he gasped as he grabbed Jean's skinny thighs to hold her up in piggy back position.
"All in the holiday spirit!" she said gleefully as she bounced slightly. Scott gave a groan.
"You know, just because you act like an 6 year old doesn't mean you weigh like one" He started walking to the kitchen. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. Then she whispered in his ear, "Have you made your list to Santa yet?"
"Je-ean…" he said rolling his eyes, "you do know that Santa doesn't exist, right?"
"Of course he does" she responded stubbornly as they arrived in the kitchen where Ororo was making cookies. "He exists in the hearts of all those who believe in him"
Scott backed up and dropped Jean off on the table in the center of the kitchen. He cracked his back as Jean slid off the table and went over to Ororo. "Need any help?"
"No actually; I just finished. Care for some?" she said, offering Jean and the Scott the plate of sugar cookies. Scott grabbed 2 but Jean grabbed 6.
"Jean, I never knew you loved my sugar cookies so much. (Almost as much as Logan likes his spiked eggnog)" Ororo added in an undertone that made Jean laugh.
"Oh I love your sugar cookies, Ororo, but three of these I'm leaving out for Santa because I'm sure he loves them too"
"Sure thing sweetheart" Storm said offering her the plate again with a smile. "Take as many as you like"
Scott shot Ororo a look that read 'You actually encourage her?' while Jean stuck her tongue out at Scott as she took 2 more cookies and searched the cabinets for a plate. She found one with a reindeer on it and got out a glass of milk and left to put it on the chimney.
"Ororo, you shouldn't encourage her" Scott said after Jean had left.
"I think it's very cute how she still believes" Storm said ignoring Scott's comment as she started washing all the pots and pans she used to make the cookies. "It shows real perseverance"
"But--!"
"Have you made your Christmas list yet? Jean will never forgive you if you don't" she said turning to Scott. Scott opened his mouth to protest but Ororo wagged a dirty wooden spoon at him. "You better go do it now before we go to bed"
Scott sighed. "All right! All right! I'll make my stupid Christmas list!" he said as he went through the kitchen door only to come face to face with Jean.
"It's not stupid, Scott" she said crossing her arms and looking slightly hurt.
"Jean, even if I did write my Christmas list and even if there was a Santa, how would he get my things here be tomorrow morning?" he insisted.
Jean lifted her chin higher in pride and explained:
"Magic"
"Ah" he said. He knew there was no more point in arguing with her so he gave in.
"OK, I'll go do my not stupid Christmas list for Santa"
Jean smiled right away. "Thanks!" and she skipped off to do other Christmas things.
Scott shook his head in disbelief as he went up the stairs. "Man, you would never guess she was 15 by the way she acts"
He plunked down at his desk and tore a sheet of paper from his notebook and started writing.
Dear Santa Claus,
This year for Christmas, I don't really want anything but peace on earth.
Sincerely, Scott.
Scott crumpled it up and tossed it over his shoulder. Jean would never accept something like that. He had to really make a list of things.
Dear Santa,
This year I would like a new PS2 game, the new Oasis CD, and Superman Returns the Movie.
Thank You, Scott.
Better, he was getting there. Then something came to his mind. He remembered something that Jean had said to him back in May. Something about a pair of ice skates that she had seen in a store window. They were white and had perfectly sharpened blades. Her only problem was that they cost too much money so she had put any thought of owning them out of her mind. He was sure that she had forgotten all about them.
Scott buried his face in his hands. He couldn't believe that he remembered this now! If he had remembered a few weeks earlier, he would have had enough time to save up money and maybe buy them for her instead of that CD and the book he'd gotten her.
He pulled out another sheet of paper and wrote in big letters: REMEMBER TO GET $ FOR JEAN'S SKATES.
He folded his Christmas list and the note and shoved one in each of his jean pockets: the list in his left and the note in his right. He made a mental note to remind himself which one was which as he headed down the stairs. Jean was waiting for him at the bottom.
"Did you do it?" she asked excitedly. Scott handed her the paper. Her eyes darted around the short note and then fell on his face. She beamed. "Awesome!" She handed it back to him and he put it back in his pocket.
But before he could move, Jean swept in and kissed him on the cheek. They both blushed furiously. Jean grinned sheepishly and scampered towards Logan. Scott glanced up and saw that he was standing right below mistletoe. He grinned up at it and then went to go put his list in his Christmas stocking. He reached into his right pocket and deposited the folded paper that was within it.
"Dinner!" Ororo called from the kitchen. Hank discarded his book on his armchair and almost ran to the kitchen. Logan and Jean followed suit in a similar manner but Scott walked so slow he almost went backwards. He felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Scott, my boy, at this rate, you'll get there when there's nothing left to eat but the tablecloth"
"Sorry, Professor" he said as he quickened his pace still grinning like a fool.
'I knew putting that mistletoe there was a good idea' the Professor thought with a smile as he wheeled into the kitchen after Scott.
Hank said the special Christmas blessing and everyone dug into there food. The adults, all smiling knowingly, were trying to ignore the two teens who seemed to be deep in thought.
After the Turkey dinner, Hank resumed his books and Logan and the Professor resumed their discussion in the sofa in front of the fire. Ororo stayed in the kitchen to clean up and Scott went to play a video game on the TV that was located in the same room where the other adults were. Their activities were interrupted by Jean.
"What are you all doing? You guys have to go to bed or else Santa won't come!"
"Redd, tell me you're joking" Logan said giving her the 'your kidding me, right?' look.
"The sooner you go to bed, the sooner you wake up on Christmas! Now to bed all of you!" She telekinetically snatched Hank's book and unplugged Scott's game. Then she herded them all up the stairs and into their rooms. Logan looked extremely irked but complied. Hank and the Professor simply grinned and complied as well. Scott was the only one who rebelled.
"Jean! It's only 10 o'clock!"
"So? Read a book until you fall asleep" she said pushing him into his room and then heading down to get Ororo.
Scott tried to read himself to sleep but couldn't. He tried staring at the ceiling and that didn't help either. After what seemed like hours, he checked his alarm clock to find that it had indeed been hours. It was a little past midnight. Sure that Jean would be asleep, he opened the door and tip-toed down the hall and down the kitchen to grab some eggnog.
However, he found that he wasn't the only one awake at this late hour.
"Thank you for the hot chocolate, Charles" an unfamiliar voice said.
"You're very welcome" the Professor responded.
Scott's eyes widened. Who would the professor be talking to in the middle of the night?
"You know it's been a while since I've had a decent cup of hot cocoa with somebody" the voice said again.
"I could imagine"
Scott crept around the corner of the wall to see if he could catch a glimpse of the man whom the professor was talking to.
"That's a-that's a nifty machine you got there" the voice said with a slightly nervous chuckle.
"Cerebro? Oh, yes. It has to be if it was good enough to catch you" the Professor said almost proudly.
Scott could now see the shape of a man sitting in one of the chairs across from the Professor. He stood up. Scott blinked. Holy…!
"You know, I should've guessed that the famous Santa Claus was a mutant. I mean, how else could you travel around the world and deliver all those gifts on one night other than using teleportation?"
'Santa Claus' turned to the Professor. "Please" he said, "call me Nick. Cookie?"
In that instant that he turned, Scott got a good view of him. It wasn't exactly the traditional Santa Claus. For 1 thing, he'd lost weight. He wasn't wearing his famed suit but instead was wearing red sweat pants and a red shirt that ironically said 'Jesus is the Reason for the Season'. His beard was shorter too.
"When you showed up on Cerebro, I could hardly believe it. I mean, so many children believe that their parents made you up and that they give the gifts themselves" the professor said as he bit into a sugar cookie.
"Yeah" he said sadly, glancing at the floor. "Lots of kids have lost that magic. Parents are putting me out of business" he said with a small smile. The smile grew bigger, however, as he continued speaking. "You're Miss Grey is one of the few true believers left"
The Professor didn't understand. "But, hundreds of kids around the world believe in you"
"They are innocents. They don't know any better. But Jean has been told and she still believes. That is very different and it makes all the more special" he said still smiling.
"Is that why you still come here? Because of Jean?"
"Well, yes, but I came for another reason, too" he said as he brought a large bag onto his chair. He pulled out two boxes which he handed over to the Professor. He read them and looked back at Santa.
"But, Nick, Scott doesn't believe"
"He does now" he said with a grin as he turned his head and looked at Scott straight in the eye. Scott was frozen with fear but Santa just winked and signaled him to go back to bed with a smile. He nodded obediently and turned to leave.
Before going up the stairs though, he turned around shyly and called, "Merry Christmas!" He heard the two men laugh.
"Merry Christmas, Scott!" Nick responded.
Scott went up to his room and laid down in his bed and stared at the ceiling. Then he smiled. 'Wait until I tell Jean!'
6:00 AM
"SCOTT! SCOTT! Wake up! It's Christmas!" Jean bounced on his bed hard enough that she almost sent him flying. Scott woke up with a start, quickly recalling the events of the previous night.
"Oh my God! Jean, last night I went downstairs to get some eggnog and I saw Santa Claus for real! He's a mutant and the Professor caught him with Cerebro and they were having hot cocoa and talking and—"
Jean clamped his mouth with her hands. She looked at him with a hint of anger in her eyes.
"A mutant? That's you're excuse?"
"It's not an excuse!" He insisted. "The Professor was talking to him! He's a teleported and I think he has regenerative abilities!"
She gave him a funny look. "Did Logan spike the eggnog again this year?"
Scott couldn't believe that she didn't believe him. "I'm not lying!" he protested but they were interrupted, amazingly by Logan.
"C'mon you two, gifts!" All thoughts of what Scott said flew out of her mind as she grabbed his wrist and dragged him downstairs.
Jean threw herself in front of her pile and began ripping wrapping paper like crazy. Scott watched her in disbelief. He glanced at the Professor who just smiled and winked at him. Movement in the corner of his eye heralded the approach of Ororo and Hank. With a sigh he started with his own presents with an odd feeling disappointment because of Jean.
He was shocked awake by a shriek from Jean.
"Jean? What is it?" he asked urgently. Jean covered her mouth with one hand and pulled something out of its box. It was the skates. They were pure white and exactly her size. Scott blinked. No one else could have gotten them for her, she had only told him. He recalled putting a note from his right pocket into the—oh…
"Wow. Jean, they're beautiful" Ororo said with a smile. "Who are they from?"
Jean frantically searched the wrapping paper for a label. Finding and reading it she stared at Scott. And Scott, who was thinking about the possibility of Santa being a telepath too, was taken by surprise as Jean threw herself on him.
"Thankyou!Thankyou!Thankyou!Thankyou!Thankyou!Thankyou!Thankyou! Thankyou!Thankyou!" she squealed.
"You got them for her?" Hank asked. "Not exactly" Jean explained as she handed Hank the label. It read:
To: Jean
From: Santa Claus
Courtesy of: Scott
Say Thank You:)
"Mmmm…" he pondered while Jean untangled herself from a shocked Scott.
"You're making a habit out of stopping my heart" Scott gasped. She giggled and responded "And this is a bad thing?" They both laughed and Scott finished unwrapping the package he had started. Jean let out another squeal as he pulled out identical ice skates but in black.
Scott read the label on his package.
To: Scott
From: Santa
Never stop believing:)
"C'mon!" Jean giggled putting on her skates. "Let's go!"
"But what about the rest of your presents?" he asked as Jean started putting his skates on him. "They can wait. We've got the rest of the day" she said, pulling him to his feet after she had made sure that his skates were on correctly.
"Oh, good" Ororo yawned, "Then I'm going back to bed" She got up but was stopped by Logan who swooped her up and carried her bridal style. "Sorry, Ro. Kids need supervising" he said. Ororo groaned but Logan laughed. He grabbed their jackets and his and her ice skates and headed out the door after the laughing teens.
"Santa?" Hank asked the professor, looking up form the label in his hands. The Professor smiled.
"Santa"
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!