Hey guys! Sorry I haven't gotten back to any letters yet, this is the first time I've been online in a while! I didn't send this to any beta readers this time, I doubt that a) there's much anyone can do to fix this sucker and b) I was afraid that if I did I might forget about it and not send it out at all! Many thanks to Dyce for reading On The 12th Day of Christmas, though!

J.B.McD.

The Gen Xer's are Marvel's, not mine. If they were mine I'd be rich. And I'm not. I know it's not great form and all that, in places it downright stinks, but this is what happens when you stay up too late decorating trees and getting punchy! Anyway, my little sis, Mac, and I wrote this, tell me what you think!

Twas the night before Christmas
And all through the school
Came the call of mad teens
"Ange, you dead fool!"

Jubilee ran through the house
With whipped cream in her hair,
Shaking a bottle of brand-
New white Nair!

"Jubie, calm down!"
Cried Skin as his best,
"It'll wipe off my legs,
And take hair off my chest!"

Jono laughed hard,
His sides shaking badly,
Jubilee screamed,
Chasing him madly.

*Now Jubes,* he thought,
*Calm down, you small chit,
Yer mad at that bloke,
You stupid $#!+!*

Jubilee chased him,
Tripping over her sled,
As she sat up
She saw nothing but red.

"Jono! Ange!
You're both dead!
You put sleds by my feet
And whipped cream on my head!"

Paige couldn't help
But giggle a bit,
And of course agree with Jon:
She was a small chit.

"Jubilee, when Santa comes,
You'll get nothing but coal,
'Cuz when you're bad at Christmas
You must pay the toll!"

Jubilee stopped
And glared hard at the leader.
"It's not my fault,
Ange is a cheater!"

Angelo stopped
To protect his good name,
"I play creatively--
You're just way lame!"

Paige looked at the two
In stupefied shock,
"What are you talking about?"
As she arranged Joseph's flock.

"We were playing Scrabble,
But Angelo cheated!
Then he held my head down
To make me stay seated!

"I could do nothing!
He sprayed that . . . that stuff!
White foam poured out,
Filled my hair up with fluff!"

Skin snorted rudely,
Cocking his brows.
"You're forgetting the part
Where you hit me with boughs.

"She hauled off and whacked me
Upside the head!
And I never cheat,
As before I've said!"

"You did too!
'Kerschtuffel''s not a word!
Not only did you cheat
But you lie most absurd!"

Paige again giggled.
That was too true.
But Ange was sad,
And on Christmas you're not blue.

"Come on, you guys,
You've gotten each other now.
Both have been whacked and
Smacked with a bough.

"Jubilee, you hit him.
Ange, you sprayed her.
Now both you sit down
Underneath our new fir.

"It's Christmas, you two!
You're not 'posed to fight!
So kiss and make up
And call it a night!

"Santa is coming,
He'll be here right quick!"
Jubie eyed Paige.
She was making her sick.

"Hey, Ange," she whispered,
Her head tilted near,
"I say we get coal.
Go get the shears!"

He grinned and then turned,
But Paige was too fast.
"I heard that, you two.
I'll put you in casts!"

Jubilee was ready
To argue the point,
But they heard a noise
Sounding something like "FOINT!"

"'Foint'?" Paige asked,
Looking around.
The other three shrugged,
Then turned at a sound.

"HO HO HO HO!"
Cried someone in red.
White hair on his chin
And a hat on his head.

"You two've been bad,"
He pointed out, winking.
Jubilee prayed the floor'd open up
And she'd go through it sinking.

"Sorry," she mumbled,
Echoed by Skin.
"It wasn't my fault--
HEY! How'd you get in?!"

Santa, he nodded.
Then winked a few times.
"It's a trade secret,
Known by me and two mimes."

Paige and Jono
Then traded looks,
While Santa he pulled
From his bag lots of books.

"These here are for Emma,
Monet and that Synch.
A delightful fellow,
That's what I think.

"You two, though,
You've got only black rocks.
(Coal got expensive,
Along with white socks.)

"But I'll give you a chance,
Since you're both caring kids.
Do something nice and
You'll get more than lids!"

Jubilee looked at Ange.
Ange looked at Jubilee.
"Like what?" They asked,
Rememb'ring the melee

They'd caused more then once,
Twice or three times.
Not much could make up
For the bit with the chimes.

"Jubilee, help Sean.
Angelo, you too.
I'll give you your presents
And see how you do."

With a wink and a blink
He swept away fast,
Leaving behind some presents
And an impression that'll last.

"Well," said Jube,
Eyeing new skates,
"I'll give it a whirl
For those kinds of stakes!"

She snatched up the things,
Ange picked up his stuff
And up the stairs they ran,
Leaving the two in a puff.

I'd never seen anything
Quite so amazing.
For a whole week
Jubilee was unfazing.

She worked with the kids,
Picked up her room.
And Angelo was great,
Helped at a zoom.

Santa thought that was good,
Which was a nice thing,
Since shortly after that
They went back to mean things.

But for one whole week
The Christmas spirit prevailed,
Souls often soared
And hearts constantly sailed.

They say miracles
Don't happen no more,
But I think they're looking
In the wrong kind of store.

Jubie and Ange
Were nice and good,
And that never happens
In this part of the 'hood.

Which means, of course,
That my present came.
And Jono now likes me,
Which isn't a shame.

Thanks, lots Santa,
I knew you were real.
Knew you'd come through,
You've got that whole feel.

Anyway now
I'll end this long tale,
This is Paige signing off
(Gotta go get Ange out of jail).

So now I proclaim
As I drive down the street,
Tell Santa what you want,
And don't get cold feet.

The End

Back to the X-Mansion
Back to the living room