Summary: Jubilee comes to the Xmansion at Christmas time to find the X-Men seem to have forgotten about it.

Rating: PG (Some violence involving Christmas lights, and threats against Gambit)

Main characters: Jubilee, Wovlerine, Gambit

Shipping: Not really, just the established Jean-Cyclops, Betsy-Angel, barely mentioned

Feedback? Always

Done in response to an Xlist challenge, you'll recognize some of the lines.

Jubilee walked into the X-Mansion and quietly headed to the War Room. As expected, it was there. "It" was what Bobby had nicknamed "Anal Retentive's Curfew Sheet," a sign in-sign out log. Scott's idea of course. He thought it perfectly logical to keep track of all the X-Men's whereabouts in case of emergency. Like the end of the world, for example. That wasn't that unusual in this house.

Of course, some X-Men (particularly Logan and Remy) refused to co-operate. They signed in and out only if they were caught leaving, which was rarely. Flipping through the log, she saw nearly everyone was here, although several were leaving in the afternoon. She was surprised to see that Remy had actually signed out.

"You're slipping." Jubilee said, reading the log. Destination New Orleans. Time expected to return: December 25, eight a.m. It took Jubilee a few moments to decipher Remy's characteristic scrawl.

"Eight a.m. huh?" Jubilee said to herself. "In Gambitese that means noonish." She checked her watch. One thirty. More than enough time. Hopefully.

She had stopped by last week. There was no tree. No decorations. Not even a sprig of mistletoe. Disappointed, she formulated a plan on her way back to the Academy. And, one week and one stolen headmistress' car later, here she was. Done with the log, she put it down and left the War Room.

Everyone was still asleep. The main ballroom was unlocked. In it, she saw a large evergreen tree; about twenty feet tall, in the middle of the room, already in a tree stand.

"At least I'm not the only one who didn't forget Christmas this year." She said to herself, feeling better. She added water to the stand and started to go through the boxes of decorations someone had laid out. The only thing she couldn't fix was the lack of snow.

She knew it was green in Massachusetts, but she had held out hope that it was white in Westchester County until she pulled on Greymalkin Lane and saw the lawn as green as an emerald. Smiling at the memory of hotwiring Emma's car, she began to hum "White Christmas." She separated the strings of lights, untangled the tinsel and made sure all the ornaments had hooks. She found the ornaments they had all made when Rogue had insisted on a homemade theme.

"Poor guys," she said. "Too busy saving the world." She decided this year's theme would be "everything I can hang up by seven thirty when I have to start breakfast." She had decided that was her gift to the people who had been her family for so long. Christmas.

She draped a holly garland around her neck and started to scale the tree. She planned to hang the garland off the chandelier and fasten it to the walls. She had seen Colossus hang off the chandelier, so she knew it would hold her weight. She perched carefully on a branch and jumped, arms outstretched, fingers waiting to grip the chain.

She missed by about a foot.

"Need some help, p'tite?" Remy asked, grinning. He had caught her.

"What are you doing back?" Jubilee asked.

"I can only stand de Guilds for so long. Den I have t'come back t'dis nut house." Remy said, putting her down. "De real question is what in hell were you doing?"

"Decorating." She said. "You guys didn't finish."

"We got busy." Remy said.

"Do you think you could get this garland up there?" Jubilee asked, eyes wide. Remy rolled his.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really." Jubilee said, laughing. Together they got the ballroom pretty well decorated. Then Jubilee scaled the tree once more to start hanging ornaments.

"Ya gotta put the lights on first, darlin'." A gruff voice said from the door. Jubilee jumped down and ran over to the man, knocking him down as she hugged him.

"Merry Christmas, Wolvie!" She shrieked.

"Not so early in the morning kiddo." Logan said. "It's five o'clock and I haven't had my coffee yet."

"Did I wake you up?" Jubilee asked.

"I heard some commotion down here." Logan said. "No one was expected back and the Cajun usually stays in the boat house."

"I saw Emma's car in the driveway." Remy explained.

"It was a surprise." Jubilee said. "So, lights first?"

"Congratulations, mon ami." Remy said. "You've just been elected t'her decoratin' committee."

"I'll figure out the lights, kiddo." Logan agreed. "You go make me some coffee." Giving her mentor and father figure another big hug, she ran off to the kitchen. While the coffee was brewing she made the preparations for breakfast. She poured two cups and was grateful that both Remy and Logan prefered their coffee strong and black. She returned to the ballroom to find Remy hanging more garland and Logan wrestling with the lights.

"One friggin' light goes out, they all friggin' go out." He muttered as he plugged in a strand to see if it worked. She handed him his coffee. "Could someone find me an extension cord?" He looked ready to rumble with the lights.

"Come on, Logan." Jubilee said, smiling at him. "It's Christmas time. Time of good cheer, peace, love, and good will to men."

"Bah hum bug." Logan said, still glowering at the lights. She pouted at him.

"Logan¡¦" she pouted.

"Fine. Ho. Ho. Ho. Is that better?" He said.

"You say that so well." Jubilee said, the picture of innocence.

"No."

"But.."

"No, Jube." He said firmly.

"No what?" Remy called down. He was changing the bulbs on the chandelier to green and red.

"The kid here wants me to dress up like Santa Claus."

"I t'ink you should." Remy said.

"You better stay up there, Cajun." Logan warned. "Or we'll be having Gumbo for dinner." He turned to Jubilee. "I still need an extension cord." Jubilee dug a couple out of the box and tossed them at Wolverine. "Just out of curiousity," Logan began. "Does Emma know she lent you her car?"

"Not exactly." Jubilee said. "She never said I couldn't." Logan grunted.

"I wanna see the look on her face when she sees her beloved car is missing." Logan said.

"She'll get over it." Remy said, flipping back to the floor. "So what did everyone get me for Christmas?"

"A gift certificate for Castration R Us." Logan said, plugging in more lights. "Just doin' my part to clean up the gene pool." Then he growled. "Now why the hell are they blinking?!" He shouted.

"Maybe dey're supposed to." Remy said.

"They weren't blinking before." Logan said, throwing the lights. They stopped blinking. "That's better."

"Maybe dere be a better way to do dat." Remy said.

"Fine! You're so smart, you hang up the friggin' lights!" Logan snarled. Remy took a step away. Logan had unconsciously bared his adamantium claws.

"Whoa, mon ami." Remy said. "Easy now. If you don't watch it, you'll put your eye out."

"Maybe yours." Logan said, drawing his claws back into his forearms.

Jubilee sighed. She took an arm full of lights and started to climb the tree.

"Have yourself a merry little Christmas." She began to sing. Remy and Logan looked at each other and silently agreed on a seize-fire. "Faithful friends who are dear to us gather near to us once more."

"Through the years we all will be together if the fates allow." A voice sang out. Jubilee looked down. It was Rogue, flying up to the tree with lights. Gratefully, Jubilee climbed down, not being all that big on heights.

She smiled at Logan and Remy, and headed into the kitchen. She passed several X-Men, busy rummaging through the boxes of decorations. Cable greeted her as walked past her, arms full of boxes, several more trailing behind him telekinetically. He was going to decorate the outside of the mansion.

In the kitchen she found Jean and Cecelia cooking eggs, Colossus squeezing orange juice and Kitty peeling fruit. She paused at the door way and listened. Professor Xavier hovered next to her.

"Merry Christmas, Jubilation." He said. She smiled as she listened and watched.

Warren had found some mistletoe and had trapped a willing Betsy in a corner. Storm was outside summoning snow. Bobby was making an ice sculpture of Santa in his sleigh with his reindeer. She could hear Kurt singing "Adestes Fideles" while he set up the nativity scene. Sam was explaining the intricacies of Christian Christmas to Neal, while Kitty countered the traditional Christmas carols with Adam Sandler's "Chanukah Song." It was eight thirty a.m. Christmas morning and she was surrounded by her loved ones. Everyone was happy and smiling.

Most of all, everyone was getting along. She turned to the professor and gave him a big smile.

"Merry Christmas, Professor."