Author's Note: My people! I'm back with another chapter. It took a couple of months, but it's here, lol. This chapter will be different from the rest, though. Since it's Christmas time, I thought it would be cool to make a short Christmas chapter of some kind. This is canon to the main story, just to confirm. And don't worry, we will return to the main story after this chapter is over. Now, it's time for me to reply to some reviews.

Jebest4781: Thanks, man!

Arkham Knight 22: Thank you for your kind words! I'll try my best to keep it up.

Cruden: Thanks, bro!

Pinkflamingwarriorofjustice: I will say that I haven't thought of something like that, but it doesn't mean it'll never have a chance of happening. Stay tuned, haha.

Kirito720: Thank ya! The next chapter is here.

Guest: Lol, thanks. I know it's been a couple of months, but I'm glad I'm able to give some kind of update.

That's all the reviews! To all my readers, if you leave a review, I'll reply to it in the next chapter. With that being said, let's get started.

Intro Music: X-Men Animated x Spider-Man Animated - Epic Theme Song Mashup 2024 (I recommend playing this on YouTube!)

CYCLOPS

JEAN GREY

STORM

WOLVERINE

MORPH

ROGUE

THE BEAST

GAMBIT

JUBILEE

NIGHTCRAWLER

EMMA FROST

DEADPOOL

SPIDER-MAN

PROFESSOR X

SPIDER-MAN & THE X-MEN: DREAMS & NIGHTMARES

Chapter 12: Christmas at the X-Mansion

BGM: Boyz II Men - Let It Snow

The sprawling X-Mansion stood resplendent under a thick blanket of snow, its towering gables adorned with garlands of evergreen and glowing strings of lights. Inside, chaos reigned. Christmas chaos, to be specific. The smell of pine and the faint scent of burnt something-or-other wafted through the halls, while carols played on a slightly crackly speaker system.

Peter Parker, better known as Spider-Man, leaned casually against a doorway, watching the scene unfold in the kitchen. Jean Grey, poised and composed on most days, looked a little frazzled as she stirred a pot of mashed potatoes that was bubbling far too enthusiastically. Gambit, in his trademark trench coat, because apparently, cooking in a trench coat was perfectly reasonable to him, was attempting to flambé something with a miniature blowtorch.

"Jean, chère," Gambit drawled with his Cajun charm, "you gotta trust Remy on dis. A lil' flame brings out da flavor."

Jean shot him a skeptical glance, her psychic powers likely already predicting the fiery disaster that awaited. "If you set the stove on fire again, Gambit, I will flambé you."

Peter chuckled, ducking as a stray potholder narrowly missed his head. "Is it too late to order Chinese food? I know a great place in Queens."

A sigh escaped Jean's lips. "Not helping, Peter."

Across the hall, Rogue was stringing popcorn garlands with Jubilee. The Southern belle gave a warm laugh as Jubilee popped a kernel into her mouth. "If you eat all the popcorn, we're not gonna have anything for the tree, darlin'."

"But it's so good!" Jubilee retorted, not wanting to stop.

While this was going on, Peter showed up, and couldn't help but steal a glance at Rogue. The way her auburn hair caught the soft glow of the Christmas lights, her green eyes full of mirth—it was enough to make Peter's spider-sense tingle for all the wrong reasons. Rogue would turn to Peter, obviously noticing his glance. He quickly looked away, fiddling with his web-shooter as if it suddenly needed maintenance.

A small smirk formed on Rogue's face, and she figured she would play with him a bit. "Ya know, Spider-Boy," she called teasingly, her Southern drawl as smooth as molasses, "you could help instead of just standin' there lookin' lost."

"Spider-Man," Peter corrected automatically, moving closer. "And I'm not lost. Just... strategically observing."

"Uh-huh." She held out a garland. "Then strategically hang this on the tree, sugah."

Jubilee grinned, her hands full of tinsel. "The tree's not gonna web itself, Spidey."

But before Peter could retort, a loud CRASH echoed from the living room.

"Hank!" Cyclops' voice rang out, exasperated. "What are you doing?"

Spider-Man, Rogue, and Jubilee exchanged amused looks before heading to investigate. They arrived to find Beast—Hank McCoy—dangling from the ceiling, tangled in a mass of lights. A toppled ladder lay below him, along with a string of broken ornaments.

"Hank," Scott said, pinching the bridge of his nose, "I said we needed orderly decorating, not... whatever this is."

Hank offered a sheepish grin, his blue fur dusted with glitter. "Ah, but where's the fun in that, dear Scott? Besides, gravity and I had a... minor disagreement."

"Need a hand?" Peter called, shooting a web to hoist Beast back upright.

"Much obliged," Hank replied as Peter gently lowered him to the floor.

Storm floated into the room, her white hair glinting like snow. "Perhaps a bit less chaos and a bit more teamwork, yes?"

As if on cue, Wolverine stomped in from the front yard, his boots tracking snow onto the pristine hardwood floor. "Snowman's done," he growled, shaking out his claws. "Anyone got a carrot for a nose?"

"I think we're using all the carrots for dinner," Emma Frost said dryly from her perch on the couch, where she was sipping eggnog with the poise of a queen. Morph, ever the prankster, was mimicking her regal posture a few feet away, much to her irritation.

"Am I doing my best White Queen impression, guys?" Morph said, his tone being comedic as Emma could only roll her eyes in a playful manner.

"You're lucky it's Christmas, darling." Emma replied, looking at Morph while turning her attention to everybody else. "Anyway, back to dinner." she added, wanting to switch back to the topic at hand.

"Dinner," Peter repeated, remembering the culinary misadventures in the kitchen. "Right. I should check on—"

Another boom echoed, followed by a burst of smoke from the kitchen doorway.

"Gambit!" Jean's voice rang out, more amused than angry this time.

"That's my famous Cajun seasoning, chère!" Gambit replied, being completely serious about his cooking.

Upon hearing the madness that was going on in the kitchen, Peter groaned loudly. "I knew it. Chinese food. I'm calling the place."

Rogue stepped closer to Peter, her expression softening. "This is definitely a mess, but it's kinda nice, don't ya think? Feels like home."

Peter met her gaze, his usual quips faltering as a rare moment of sincerity passed between them. "Yeah," he said quietly. "It kinda does."

And for once, Peter didn't feel out of place. Sure, the X-Mansion was filled with mutants, mishaps, and a level of holiday chaos that bordered on absurd—but it was also filled with warmth, laughter, and people who, in their own way, felt like family.

"Now, c'mon," Rogue said, nudging him with the popcorn garland. "Let's see if you're any good at decoratin', or if webbin' up bad guys is all you're good for."

Peter grinned, taking the garland. "Challenge accepted, Southern Belle. Watch and learn."

As they approached the towering Christmas tree, Wolverine muttered something under his breath about "too much tinsel" while begrudgingly helping Jubilee wrap another strand around the base. Storm used a gentle gust of wind to lift the star to the top, her grace and precision drawing a round of applause from Jubilee.

"Showoff," Logan grumbled, though the faintest smirk tugged at his lips.

Storm giggled a bit, while turning to Logan. "Not my intention." she replied, having a small smile.

Meanwhile, Gambit stayed in the kitchen, slightly singed but carrying a tray of what he triumphantly declared were "perfectly flambéed sweet potatoes." Jean was wiping her hands and shaking her head. "I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt, but if these are charred, Remy, you're on dish duty for a week."

"Dey're magnifique, chère," Gambit replied, winking. "Promise."

As the group settled into their respective tasks, the energy in the room shifted. The chaos remained, of course—Peter had accidentally stuck the popcorn garland to the ceiling with an errant web, and Hank was now tangled in the tree skirt—but the laughter was infectious. Even Scott cracked a rare smile as he adjusted a lopsided ornament.

"Hey, has anyone seen Kitty and Kurt?" Jubilee asked, looking around.

Before anyone could answer, Kitty Pryde phased through the wall with a box of candy canes in hand. "Found these in the attic!" she announced, her cheeks flushed from the cold. "Thought we could use some extra sweetness around here."

After Kitty said this, Kurt Wagner, better known as Nightcrawler, teleported to where everyone was, while also carrying an additional box of candy canes while having a smile. "These will look good on the tree."

"Good call," Peter said, plucking a candy cane from the box. "And hey, if dinner doesn't pan out, we've got dessert covered."

"Dinner's fine!" Jean shouted defensively from the kitchen, though the sound of a timer going off suggested otherwise.

Rogue laughed, handing Peter another strand of garland. "Y'all are gonna give Jean a heart attack."

"She'll survive," Peter replied, stepping back to admire their handiwork. The tree stood tall and sparkling, a patchwork of mismatched decorations that somehow worked together beautifully. It was a little lopsided, a little chaotic—but perfect in its imperfection.

As the first snowflakes of the evening drifted past the window, Storm called everyone together. "Let's take a moment," she said, her voice serene. "It's not often we get to be together like this, without the weight of the world on our shoulders."

The room fell quiet, save for the crackling of the fire and the faint hum of holiday music. Peter glanced around, his chest tightening with a warmth he hadn't expected. He was truly taking all of it in, just like everyone else was. A bevy of emotions started to hit him, as he began to remember his dear Aunt May, who was tragically killed during an attack on the X-Mansion. And for the X-Men, they were remembering Professor Charles Xavier, who mysteriously disappeared after that same attack.

However, Rogue, who turned to Peter, could sense his sadness. This would cause her own expression to soften. "Peter," she said softly, showing concern. "You okay, sugah?"

Peter looked at Rogue, and proceeded to try to get himself together. He would nod at her, and try to put a smile on his face. "Yeah… Yeah, I'm fine." he told her quietly, but Rogue could tell he was still struggling. So, wanting to comfort him, Rogue gently grasped Peter's hand with her own gloved hand.

Wanting to show his appreciation, Peter gave Rogue's hand a light squeeze, and both of them would smile warmly at each other. They've grown closer over the past few months, and it's clear that they'll always have each other's backs. The same can be said for the rest of the X-Men too.

Everyone would continue to enjoy this silent moment of peace and simply being surrounded by family on this nice Christmas Day.

Then, busting down the doors of the X-Mansion like the Kool-Aid Man, a certain merc with a mouth could be seen carrying multiple gifts like he was Santa Claus.

"You get a gift! And you get a gift! EVERYBODY GETS A GIFT!"

Deadpool's declaration would travel throughout the halls, and even with his craziness…

Everything in this moment still felt right.

END OF CHAPTER 12: CHRISTMAS AT THE X-MANSION

*TV STATIC INTENSIFIES*

BGM: Bobby Helms - Jingle Bell Rock

Deadpool: Welcome back to the Deadpool and Honey Badger podcast, everybody! As you can see, we got away from the drama a bit, because Christmas shouldn't be about drama. It should be about spending and enjoying quality time with your loved ones.

Wolverine: That's the smartest thing you've ever said.

Storm: Does he have a fever?

Rogue: It's gotta be a Christmas miracle or somethin'.

Deadpool: Hey, I'm all for spreading holiday cheer! I can be normal… sometimes.

Cyclops: Can sometimes turn into all the time?

Deadpool: Don't push it, Cyke.

Spider-Man: Well, we'll make sure to enjoy this moment of normalcy. I know I will, especially.

Morph: You're saying that because your life sucks, right?

Emma: Harsh.

Morph: You're calling me harsh? Ironiiiiiic.

Jean: Now now, let's keep things civil.

Gambit: Gambit thinks we should enjoy this food Jean and I made here.

Kitty: It does smell good, I gotta admit.

Nightcrawler: Well, let's not waste anymore time. Let's dig in!

Beast: Sounds like a solid plan, if I do say so myself.

Rogue: Merry Christmas, y'all!

*Podcast Ends*

Author's Note: Well, there goes the Christmas chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed reading it. We did get a new character appearance, and that's Kitty Pryde. This is me pretty much confirming that she'll show up in the actual main story eventually. Oh, I did make a new story recently. It's called Distorted Justice, and it's a Spider-Man/Justice League crossover. Check it out whenever you guys get the chance.

But for now, if you guys enjoyed this chapter, then leave a FOLLOW and a FAVORITE! Don't forget to READ AND REVIEW! Merry Christmas to everyone, and Happy Holidays. Peace.