The Broken Angel, the Iron Star

The snow had all melted off the massive tree's branches while the X-Men ate dinner together. Raven enlisted the help of Beast and Alex to bring out the large boxes of decorations from the storage room. Darwin brought a large bowl of popcorn from the kitchen and set it on the coffee table beside where Angel and Sean were threading several needles with red thread. Azazel was lighting a fire in the fireplace. Erik sat quietly on the couch, watching the proceedings and listening to the sounds of Bing Crosby singing "Oh Come, All Ye Faithful" from Charles' phonograph. Charles sat at the end of the couch, his hands resting loosely in his lap, a contented smile on his face, his eyes shining as he watched his sister carefully open the first box of decorations. The metal of his wheelchair glimmered in the flicker of firelight.

"Please be careful with those," Charles warned as he watched Sean pulling a box of ornate glass ornaments from one of the larger boxes. "Some of those are antiques—been in my family for generations."

Sean nodded, opening the box cautiously, his eyes widening as the collection of sparkling colours inside was revealed. He carefully took hold of the loop of thread attached to the metal ring at the top of one ornament, and drew it out of the box to hang from his fingers. He swallowed, then glanced at Charles. "Are you sure you want us using these, Professor?"

"Yes, yes," Charles replied with a warm smile and a small dismissive wave of his hand, "Raven and I broke at least two or three each when we were younger—no point keeping them hidden away in a box; they're meant to be hung on a tree, so please go ahead and hang them on the tree where we can all enjoy looking at them." He smiled. "Just, you know, be careful."

Sean nodded, carefully hanging the loop of thread over the end of one of the tree's branches, making sure it was on securely and not about to slip off.

Erik sat relaxed amidst the activity, his eyes unfocused, allowing the prevailing feeling of warmth to wash over him. He remembered this—not the antique ornaments or the tree or the popcorn or the song about a baby born in a tiny town in Israel, but the warmth of family and friends, the celebration and the happiness. Above all, he remembered his mother. Charles spoke of the maid baking cookies for him and Raven at Christmas time, but it had been Erik's mother who had prepared the pączki each Chanukah. Had they somehow been wealthy enough to afford a maid, he imagined his mother might have allowed one to clean up and run a few errands, but he couldn't imagine her letting a maid cook, especially not for the holidays. He wondered, but thought it would be rude to ask Charles what exactly his mother had spent her time doing while the maid baked Christmas cookies.

Erik's thoughts were interrupted by Angel offering him a threaded needle and a piece of popcorn. The bowl of popcorn on the coffee table was easily within his reach. "If you want to," she said shyly.

The corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smile as he accepted the needle, noting how Riptide and Charles each now held one in addition to Angel and Darwin who were seated on the floor by the coffee table.

Then Raven was opening a box and showing off something inside and everyone was ooh-ing and aah-ing over it. She held it up, and Erik saw it was a figure of a woman in a long white dress with large white feathery wings curving above her shoulders—a Christmas angel. She was made entirely of china and glass with pale china cheeks, bright rosy lips, wide brilliant blue eyes, and long wavy strawberry-blonde hair wearing a wreath of lilies like a crown. "But how should we get her all the way up there?" Raven asked, looking up to where the tree nearly brushed the high ceiling. "We never had a tree that big before—never could have, since it wouldn't have fit down the hall." She smiled warmly at Azazel, "Thanks, by the way, for bringing the tree in."

Azazel smiled slightly and nodded in response from where he sat near the fireplace.

Raven looked at the angel in her hands thoughtfully, then a bright smile spread across her face. "Angel, would you mind flying our angel up?"

Angel grinned. "Sure," she said as she stood, removing her jacket and freeing her wings before taking the angel carefully in both hands and flying up to the top of the tree.

Since most of the ornaments had small wire loops at their tops, Erik found his own mutation could be quite helpful in decorating the higher branches of the tree, and soon he and Angel were both working to decorate the parts of the tree most of the others couldn't hope to reach.

"Oh, no, Erik," Charles voice cut in with a mix of mild frustration and gentle mocking, "now you've gone and put two red ones practically touching—you need to vary them."

Erik turned and rolled his eyes at his friend. "If you don't like how I'm decorating your Christmas tree, Charles, you're welcome to do it yourself."

Charles grinned broadly, his eyes twinkling. "Am I?" he asked, wiggling his fingers slightly near his temple.

Erik held back laughter as he nodded; it really seemed like such a silly use of their powers, considering some of the grand things they had accomplished, but so long as it made Charles happy it was worth it. He felt Charles' familiar gentle presence slide into his mind and begin guiding him to arrange the ornaments more to his liking.

When most of tree was covered in ornaments and Raven was packing the empty boxes away in the larger boxes, Alex appeared from outside, his hands full of snow which he proceeded to attempt to shove down the backs of Beast's and Sean's shirts. The room erupted into a flurry of laughing, yelling, jumping, and pushing. Sean was pulling the melting lumps of snow out of his shirt and trying to shove them in Alex's face. The bowl of popcorn spilled as the coffee table was shoved painfully against Erik's shins. And suddenly Alex's body was connecting with the tree with an ominous tinkling sound as all the ornaments began swinging. And it seemed time had slowed as the glass angel toppled and fell—she had not a scrap of metal in or on her and no one was close enough to even attempt to catch her. No one had time to react beyond a shocked widening of the eyes before she hit the marble floor and shattered. The sound of the falling angel meeting the unyielding marble floor stilled all others in the room and everyone turned to look with shock and sadness at what remained of the angel's fragile body.

Alex' eyes were filled with hurt as he turned them from where the angel had fallen to the Professor's face. "I-I didn't mean—" Shame washed across his face as he lowered his eyes to look at his feet, hunching his shoulders. "Figures," he grumbled before turning and bolting from the room.

"Alex—" Angel began, but Raven put a hand on her arm.

"Maybe he wants to be alone."

Darwin shook his head. "Alex never really wants to be alone."

"Go after him." Charles voice was rough and tears glistened in his eyes as he looked at the scattered pieces of the angel. "Let him know I'm not angry."

Darwin nodded and followed his friend.

Raven knelt beside Charles' wheelchair, placing her hand over his. She had tears on her face. "Charles, I'm so sorry."

Charles shook his head. "It wasn't your fault; these things just happen." As much as Charles was trying to put on a brave face, he was obviously hurt deeply by the loss.

"Charles—" Erik began, but Charles cut him off.

"No Erik, don't you try to apologise; this most certainly wasn't your fault." With visible effort, Charles sat up straighter and pulled his features into a soft smile, blinking away his tears. "We'll-we'll just have to put something else on top of the tree…now if someone could just get a broom…"

Raven spoke hesitantly, "Are you sure we can't—"

"No, Raven; unless one of us suddenly discovers the mutant ability to manipulate glass or turn back time, I'm afraid it's beyond help."

"What else—" Erik swallowed. "What else do people put on the tops of Christmas trees?"

"Stars, usually," Charles replied.

An hour later, after Beast had found a broom and with the help of Sean and Raven cleaned up the last of the shards of the broken angel, Alex returned, still looking at his feet. "Professor, I'm really sorry I broke your angel. I shouldn't have been roughhousing near the tree; it was really stupid of me."

Charles shook his head. "It was just a thing, Alex; it wasn't important."

"Professor, it was important to you." Alex' voice was pained.

Charles smiled sadly. "Come here, Alex."

Alex stepped closer and Charles took one of his hands between both of his own. "Alex, I want you to understand something. Yes, the Christmas angel meant something to me, but you mean a great deal more to me, all of you; I would trade everything I own in a heartbeat for each and every one of you." He gave Alex' hand a pat, and smiled and shook his head with a rueful laugh. "I'm not saying you should intentionally destroy my mansion, but when you accidentally break something, I don't want you to beat yourself up about it; do you understand?"

Alex nodded, looking embarrassed. When the Professor released his hand, he impulsively leaned in and wrapped his arms around him in a quick hug. "Thanks, Professor."

Charles grinned. "Now go outside and play with the others; they're having some sort of snowball-fight in the dark—and it seems they're all having a blast."

Charles was still smiling as Erik walked up to stand beside him. "Snowball-fighting in the dark?" Erik asked.

"Oh, Erik; you can join them if you wish."

Erik shook his head. "I think I'd prefer to stay inside where it's warm and dry." Erik shifted his weight from one foot to the other and cleared his throat. "Charles, I don't know if you want it—it's nothing like the angel, but…well, I made it and, I mean, maybe if—"

"Erik." Charles chuckled softly. "Will you just please show me whatever it is?"

Erik sighed and handed Charles the object he'd been holding. It was a deceptively simple six-pointed star made entirely out of dark metal. Erik had obviously put a lot of care into making it. It felt heavy in Charles' hands. The words, All of us, together, were etched across the middle of the star in flowing script.

"Erik." Charles reached out and grasped Erik's hand. "I love it, Erik." He looked up at Erik, his eyes shining.

Erik swallowed. "You love it? I don't think it's really the sort of star you meant."

Charles shook his head, his face very nearly glowing with the force of his smile. "It's perfect, Erik; it's exactly the sort of star I want."

A/N: Pączki are traditional Polish pastries eaten at Chanukah.

And with that, I believe the story is complete. Unless I get struck with more "holiday" inspiration…which very well might happen. But in any case, if you liked this, I totally recommend you read my "Born for Adversity" which also takes place in Earth-CSK14051981 and which I will most definitely be updating (hopefully soon). It's a bit darker, with a serious helping of angst.

Also, if you're a fan of Supernatural, you might also like my Christmas story "Snow and Angels".