I won't bore you out much, I promise. Now Warren (and you) get an update on what was going on in the manison while he and Pyro was "asleep"...

The next time Warren woke up only Piotr was there, since Bobby wasn't lucky enough to get out of his room during the night without being caught.

The big mutant smiled at him, and even though he looked tired it was an honest and happy smile. Warren slowly sat up, his body being a bit stiff after lying in the same position for so long. He once again looked over at John, but then quickly changed his gaze to Piotr. It sort of hurt seeing his friend like that because of him, but at least Colossus was awake.

To Piotr's relief Warren didn't ask any more about Pyro;

"How long… I mean, what day is it?"

"It's December, the 18."

"What?! Wasn't it November…"

Piotr smiled;

"You've been in that bed for more than three weeks. At least you didn't miss Christmas…"

Still, Warren looked a bit chocked;

"I haven't bought any presents!"

Piotr almost laughed;

"Don't mind that, you actually have a good excuse, you know?"

Angel couldn't give a good answer to this, so he just looked around at the decorations that hung everywhere. He gave his friend a questioning look, but all answer he go was a;

"Bobby's idea."

The Angel nodded and continued to look, it was pretty nice. Maybe that Iceman wasn't as bad as he'd thought; they'd just seen each other a few times and from what Warren later had heard the other guy wasn't really in his right mind either…

His thoughts was interrupted by a light humming coming from somewhere in the mansion, it almost sounded like at least ten kids were singing all at once!

Looking at Piotr Warren saw that he was smiling, and then of course explained to his friend;

"It's the younger kids singing; this German mutant Nightcrawler came here a few days ago and he taught them all a German Christmas song, Oh Tannenbaum or something. I don't think anyone has a clue on what they are singing, but everyone loves him."

"Really, is he that nice?"

"Yeah, that to, but also because he looks so much like a mutant. Still he never seemed to hate humans…"

When Piotr fell silent Warren didn't ask more, he could feel that the other boy would continue when he knew what to say. And so he did;

"You can't help but to react when you see him. He's all blue, with yellow eyes, a devils tail, three fingers and scars he's made himself all over his body like markings…"

"What?!"

"He's Christian, he says its some symbols of an angel… He had to come here when some humans found his hiding-place and tried to burn him alive, but he never told the kids."

Warren went quiet at the thought of this, and then decided he wanted to leave the subject;

"Is that all that's happened?"

Smiling Piotr shook his head;

"No, but do you want me to tell you all?"

Warren nodded;

"But make it short if it's too much."

"Well, okay then; at the same evening you and John ended up like this Rogue ran away, and she still isn't back. The Professor talked Logan into not go searching for her. He's still here, getting quite friendly with another mutant here, Mystique. Yes, she worked for Magneto before, but now she's with us, and both the Professor and Dr. Grey say she's clear. Many students believe she's in love with Logan and that they are going out. Dr. Grey hates that, and it seems like she and Mr. Summers broke up or something when it turned out she wanted Logan more…

Warren almost laughed at how stupid grown up people could act, but stopped himself since he didn't want to interrupt Piotr (not to mention the mess he was stuck in himself);

"Then, as I said, Nightcrawler, his real name is Kurt Wagner, came here. At about the same time we got even more snow and would be stuck inside if Dr. Grey hadn't been able to move it away from the doors together with Bobby. Now Beast and Logan is helping the students to dig tunnels under the snow to create a labyrinth. Half of the town is without electricity, but we have some mutants with handy powers to help, but everyone complain that Pyro isn't here with his fireballs anymore."

Now Piotr had to think, what more had happened in the past few weeks? Oh, yes;

"And then the Professor gave the information he found out about Magneto's hiding-place to the government and they took out almost half of his team. Now the rest of them are gone, and we have no idea of here they are."

He then fell quiet, and Warren assumed that it was all. They sat for a moment, and then Piotr stood up;

"I'll go tell Bobby that you're okay, he's been a bit worried, and then I'll bring you some food, you must be starving."

Warren thought of it and discovered that he was quite hungry indeed, but it had gone so far that he almost didn't notice it…

"In the meanwhile, here."

Piotr took up something from the floor and put it in one of the tables that had been left empty when the machine on it had been removed when it wasn't needed anymore since the patient was awake. It was a candlelight, a red one for Christmas.

"I thought that since you'd try to get John back you could use something else he liked to. And keep playing with his lighter somehow seems wrong when it's not him doing it…"

Warren nodded, there wasn't really anything more to add, and Piotr left with a nod.

Sitting still for a moment the Angel tried to think of something to say. How did you have a conversation with someone who might as well be dead? Just to not force himself to think more of that he reached for the lighter at John's bed and put a little flame at the top of the candle. He watched as the white bond in the middle grew black and burned, and how the red melted at the heat. This was really how their Pyro was; fiery and hot-headed on the outside, but burned and scorned on the inside. But deeper down he still had a part that was hidden, that still was white and untouched…

Warren put the candle down so that he could see both that and his friend right behind it;

"It really feels unfair, you know. You complained about not being able to play in the snow to me, remember? Now there's more than ever of it, but neither you nor me can get out there. And now it's almost Christmas… come on now, you have to see what they've done with the room, Piotr and Bobby decorated it, it's so beautiful; you have to see it…"

Warren felt a lightning of pain in his heart when his pleads fell on deaf ears, but he wouldn't give up;

"Just open your eyes and take a look… Please, just for a second…"

His throat grew thick and no more words came out, just a hiccup as he clenched the sheets and closed his eyes hard so that no tears would get out. This was the first time he was awake and alone here, the first time he was put in this silence. In an almost childish gesture he pushed the candlelight closer to John, until it was almost at the end of the table.

Nothing happened.

Sighting the Angel looked down at his hands, resting in his lap;

"Now what do I do? You don't want to listen, do you? You just want to keep on dreaming, 'cause in the dreams you have it all… Why can't you stay here, you could have a lot here to? You don't need all of it. It's just like with those toys you get as a kid, hardly anyone of them was as good as you dreamed of. It that what you worry about? That we won't be as good as you want us to be? I don't know what you want from us, but I promise that all of us try. We think you deserve it, you know. You're always there for us, so we'll do the same for you."

He looked back at the other mutant. He hadn't moved.

Ha ha ha, no telling if John is dead yet! Just wait, it's soon comming.

Oh Tannenbaum (Oh Christmas-tree) is a German Christmas-song, yes, but I don't remember much of the lyrics. It shoud be easy to find though, since it seems pretty popular...