[Yes, two holiday chapters so close together. But the story-line allowed for it, and it will be somewhat relevant to canon, unlike the MHA one I did.
And my sister and I, who happen to be Parks and Rec fans, thought it'd be hilarious to write this kind of like a mockumentary. Which is ambitious, because I will have to narrate it as well as do the asides, but I'm going to try it, and we'll just see if it works. Enjoy! And look out for the feels train. Angst is back next chapter.]
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Christmas finally arrived, somehow with the girls still doing last minute shopping and cooking, and Gambit and Jean finally reaching a compromise about the cooking.
Christmas Eve, they had the kids who wanted to, go home and visit families. Jubilee even visited her old Foster family and then Trinity's family.
The Way had its Christmas Eve service, complete with a Nativity skit by the kids and singing carols.
Emma was talked into going to this by the kids and some of the adults. They suggested to her that it was better than moping around the mansion, and she should learn all about them, not just about their home lives.
Despite her feelings on the Church as whole, she found the whole thing quaint in its own way. At least people were in high spirits.
She amused herself by reading people's minds.
She told Shine that a lot of them weren't even thinking about the service, and some were thinking about how much they dreaded visiting their relatives that day.
Her intention was to be smug about it.
But Shine, unbothered, just answered her thus: "Yes, Emma, we're not perfect. Day in and day out it's a struggle to keep our attention on Jesus, even on Christmas, but even so, they all showed up. And they are willing to go spend time with family, even if they don't always look forward to it, because they think it's the right thing to do. And they donated to people they don't know and contributed time and energy to things that don't benefit them personally. You can see the bad or the good in the holiday. It's up to you."
Emma had no response to that.
Emma aside:
"I really don't like the whole idea of this holiday." (Spoken airily.) "But any time humans actually try to do something unselfish is amusing in a way. What's that? No, I'm not against the idea of giving and charity, I just think it's silly to encourage it on one day or week of the year and then act like that's the only time it matters. But I suppose some would say it's better than nothing... I intend to spend the holiday just learning more about my surroundings. That's all I really care about. If someone says, 'Merry Christmas' to me, I don't really mind one way or the other. Just don't expect me to get into the holiday spirit. (In horror.) "Whatever that means... Oh, don't you think 'Bah Humbug' at me--there's not a lot for mutants to celebrate this time of year, is there?"
Despite this attitude, Emma didn't go out of her way to be a buzzkill. She even helped with setting up the decorations for the party the following day.
Some of the others had gone out caroling and finishing up with the donations giveaway, so Hank had organized a squad of the remaining X-men and Morlocks to put up the holly and wreaths and lights and stuff.
Morph agreed to do this because he thought it was fun to use the decorations to prank people.
"Ah, it's good to have Morph back for the holidays," Logan said.
"You gettin' sentimental?" Gambit joked.
"Me? Never," Logan said.
Morph put on a record of Christmas classics:
