Title: Into the Season
Fandom: X-Men
Author: Apache Firecat
Characters: Primarily Storm but also with cameos from Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Beast/Iceman, Jubilee, Bishop, Angel/Psylocke, Gambit/Rogue, and a very special cameo by Jean Grey
Rating: G/K
Summary: The season should have begun by now...
Word Count: 1,101
Written For: Fan FlashWorks 391: Storm
Warnings: Referenced Character Death
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.









She flew high above her friends and family, above the only actual building she'd ever been able to think of as a home. Before the school, her home had been the plains of Africa, the same ancient, dirt roads and savannahs upon which her people had traveled for centuries. She knew she'd actually been born in Egypt, but Africa had always felt like her home. Her heart, her very soul, resonated with her people there. Yet it had also come to do so here thousands of miles away in a city far more bustling and advanced than anything she'd known prior coming to this foreign land.

Ororo frowned as she watched over her current people. This time of year normally brought family together, merry songs, warm fires and embraces, and just general happiness. Yet none of that seemed to be being felt this year. She watched Bobby struggle with making a snowman, Logan grousing alone in the woods -- and she could tell he was indeed truly grouchy from the way his shoulders slumped, his hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his jeans, and he paid absolute no attention to the wildlife --, Jean standing solo like a shadow without Scott, Henry tossing one book after another as he sought something to read that would actually meet his mood, and Kurt hiding in the shadows away from everyone else. Even Jubilee did not seem her normal, jubilant self as she roller bladed pass Bishop but did not call out any remarks, skirt just narrowly around him, or even look really at him; the girl wasn't even chewing gum. Everyone seemed sad, she thought, and the bleak sky seemed to meet and perhaps encourage their moods.

Flying higher still, Ororo lifted her hands, and the clouds lifted. She knew she could not allow her own desires to affect the weather too much, but all of her friends were so sorrowful. Her heart ached for them. She had to do something to help! Remy was cooking up a storm in the kitchen, but there were none of his customary sweets for this time of the year. Rogue, meanwhile, was hiding in her room just as Elizabeth slunk through the shadows, clearly trying to avoid Warren. Ororo herself might still be coming to learn the ways of the Christmas holiday as it was celebrated in the States, but she knew that her friends usually enjoyed this season -- and she herself enjoyed seeing them happy more than anything else.

Sending the clouds away, she proceeded to coax the sun out of hiding while simultaneously dropping the temperature. She noticed Robert was the first to lift his head for a moment to watch her. With a wave of her hand, she sent light snowflakes falling toward him and his attempt at building a snowman. His snowmen were a legend around Westchester County. The one time of the year that they could count on the humans coming to their gate not with anger, haste, or distaste was Christmas, when they came to see Bobby's snowy creations, the tallest Christmas tree other than Central Park and Times Square, and the lights that the entire team usually worked together to decorate. She'd seen a few vehicles already driving slowly pass their gates and turning at the far end of the road and could not help but to sense their disappointment as well.

It was time, she thought, that all that sorrow disembarked for the holiday. It was time for spirits to lift and friendships and other warm connections to be rekindled. As the snow began to fall lightly across the grounds, Ororo smirked, thunked a finger, and sent a breeze ripping Logan's cowboy hat off his head. He chased after it, but the breeze carried it well beyond the trees, leading him out into the open. Then she hit Kurt with a snowball. She saw the Elf jump, grin in her direction, nod that he'd taken the hint, and then gather a bunch of the fresh snow and throw it at Logan. Logan retaliated instantly, sending one ball back at Kurt and another hurtling, knowingly, up at her. Ororo deflected his snowball with a simple wave of her hand, sending it careening into the middle of Bishop's broad, muscular back.

The soldier turned but paid Logan little attention. Instead, he sighted Jubilee who was skating away from him, her hands behind her back as she belted out whatever lyrics to which she was currently listening. Ororo grinned as Bishop smacked the kid with a snowball, bringing her into the fight. Lifting her arm, she sent a flurry of snow and wind at Warren, knocking the Angel off balance and sending him careening straight toward where Elizabeth was trying to hide. She smirked. The only thing better to assist those two in getting together would have been some mistletoe, or perhaps some wine.

A loud but playful roar turned all their heads at once as Hank launched himself at Bobby. He rolled him through the snow, making short work of the snowman he'd been crafting for hours and sending its parts exploding into a flurry of small. Ororo laughed, her own spirits finally lifting, and began to pelt them all with light yet firm snowballs. Jubilee screeched. Logan lunged a snowball at her, but she skirted by it. Then he launched the Elf at her, who caught her with two snowballs at once.

Laughter was finally ringing in the air, however, and Ororo would not have cared if her friends had chosen to use her own weather against her in a frenzy of a thousand snowballs. They were laughing. They were smiling. Now the season was justifiably begun! She laughed and smiled along with them, feeling completely at home and, once more, happy and fulfilled. She had never known what she had missed growing up mostly alone in Africa, but now she had a family who loved her and she loved in return.

Seeing that Rogue had joined the snowball fight, Ororo sent an icy wind to blast open the kitchen windows, quietly demanding Remy's attention. She could hear the Cajun laughing even before he abandoned his big pot of gumbo and threw himself into the play, tackling Rogue in the snow. This was what they had all needed, she thought, beaming and never knowing that one solitary figure chose that moment to slip away with a knowing, satisfied smile of her own.

Jean Grey's silhouette faded. Her family were happy. They were cared for and would have a fine mother figure in her stead. She smiled and floated away.




The End