Santa stood with a very quiet growl as the last
child,a very WET child slid down from his lap. The
very TALL and beautiful elves Jean and Ororo led the
smiling child to a pile of presents so he could choose
one and with the bells on their wrists and ankles
jingling merrily they left to watch the children play.
 

Santa decided he needed a smoke. NOW. He wandered
through the Den avoiding toys and children's fingers
as he went.

It was the now annual Christmas party for the kids at
the Homeless Shelter. Every year for the past four
years Xavier's doors would open at noon to a bus full
of noisy, excited children.

Santa glanced up the stairs to the private living
quarters as he passed them and smiled sadly. The one
responsible for all this noise and chaos wasn't even
down here! To be honest though keeping him away had
taken much pleading and finally threats of the med
lab. This was Remy's pet. Ever since the first
Christmas he was at the Mansion on the Saturday before
a group of kids from the shelter would come for the
day. The first year it was just one little girl that
Remy had taken a specific interest in. The next year
it was ten children who had lost their parents to
drugs or violence.

" Dey got no where else t' go!" Remy had pleaded as
the rest of the X-Men had scrambled to accommodate
them. The memories of his own lost childhood were so
evident on his face. The pain of watching happy
families shopping and singing and laughing. The sweet
smells of cookies baking and turkeys roasting and
knowing he would be eating out of a dumpster IF he was
lucky. Watching the beautiful lights alone from the
cold, dark corner of an alley. The rest of the team
quickly realized that this little project was as
therapeutic for their resident thief as it was for the
children he brought home.

This year it was planned out months in advance. They
hit the stores right after Halloween buying toys and
candy so the children could forget about everything
else going on in their lives and just be children for
the day. A lot of the kids were running from abusive
homes, others were there with teenaged moms or because
daddy lost his job.

Remy picked who got to play Santa each year and he
took the job very seriously. Bobby begged to play
Santa this year but that most important job was given
to Logan. He never stood a chance really and the young
Cajun didn't even have to ask him. They had gone into
town for lunch and as they left a small boy asked them
for change. It wasn't anything Remy said, it was the
look on his face after Logan handed the boy a twenty
and they watched him run back to two younger children.
Logan had looked up at his young lovers face and for
the first time REALLY UNDERSTOOD what he'd had to
endure as a child. He volunteered that night after
they made love.

Santa stepped outside and patted his pillows for the
cigar he stuffed in just before he left the bedroom.
He sat down on a step, pulled down his beard,lit it
and stuck it in his mouth.

" You shouldn't smoke Santa." a small voice stated
from the swing on the corner of the deck.

" What are you doin' out here? Why aren't ya in there
playin' with the toys? I gotta call the reindeer and
get home, got lots of work t' do ya know." Santa
puffed.

The young boy, he looked maybe ten, sat on the step
beside him. " I stopped believin' in Santa years ago
but mom says I gotta pretend 'cause my brother's only
four and he's just STARTIN' to believe. She says that
he needs somethin' to believe in."

Logan looked at the serious little boy and nodded,
" she's right."

" I guess. I'm Kevin Jackson who are you?"

" Names Logan" he shook the small hand before him.
" Nice t' meet ya. Which one's yer brother?" he asked
as he turned and looked in the storm door at the
dozens of children in the house.

" That's him sitting on mom's lap. His name's Ethan."

Logan followed the small finger to a woman sitting
alone in a chair away from the rest of the mom's. She
wasn't very old, probably in her late thirties but her
face showed that she felt at least twice that. The
squirming little boy with her was in her lap one
second and out the next. He was firing questions at
her a mile a minute.

" Why is Santa so fat?"
" Because he eats all those cookies children leave out
for him."

" How do the reindeer fly?"
" He feeds them magic corn."

" Can Santa bring daddy home?"
The woman looked stunned for a moment and Logan
clearly saw the pain cross her face before she
answered the child, "N-no sweetie, Santa can't bring
daddy home." He watched as she blinked back tears she
obviously felt.

" Could I fly if I ate the magic corn?"
" No, it only works on reindeer."

Logan turned to Kevin, " What happened to yer dad
kid?" he asked as gently as he could.

" He died of cancer. Mom couldn't make enough money
so..."he shrugged and his little voice trailed off. "
I better go now, goodbye Mr. Logan."

"Bye kid" he said as he watched the boy go. " Hey
Kevin, tell yer brother that Santa's watchin' and to
be good and listen to his mom."

Kevin smiled and walked into the house and took his
brothers hand. He told him something then pointed out
the door. The smaller boy's eyes went wide as he
looked out at Santa. His mom looked over at Logan and
with a hint of a smile she mouthed the words " thank
you". Logan gave her a nod before he stood to go to
his room to change.

From halfway down the hall Logan saw Remy leaving
their room. " Where do you think you're going?" he
asked gently as he wrapped an arm around the shivering
form of his lover and returned him to the bedroom.

"Jus' wan' t' see how t'ings 'r goin'" Remy croaked.

" Darlin', Hank said complete bed rest or this would
turn into pneumonia. No."

"But-"

Logan kissed his lover and pushed him gently back into
a pile of pillows. " No. Yer too important t' me. I
need ya better by Christmas. I got you something
special..." he sang teasingly to his lover as he felt
his forehead. He frowned a bit; the fever was still
too high. He poured a glass of water and handed Remy
two small pills. " Take yer meds."

Remy rolled his eyes but swallowed the pills. He was
highly susceptible to colds and flu's since his return
from the cold and this one had hit him particularly
hard. His chest ached no matter what position he tried
to rest in and the fever refused to break. This was
HIS party though! He wanted to make sure the kids were
happy, that's all that mattered today.

Logan turned him slowly to his side and started
rubbing his back with firm strokes. " I found the
family we're gonna help this year." he said softly in
his lovers ear as he gently bit the lobe.

Remy's shiver had nothing to do with the fever this
time as he closed his eyes and moaned softly. " Hold
dat t'ought 'til I feel 'uman 'gain, oui?"

Logan gave him a hug and a kiss and continued the back
rub. " Wanna know about 'em?"

" Oui." He felt so much better when Logan was with him
but he couldn't make the man sit beside his bed every
time he was sick. None of the other X-Men knew about
this part of the party. Every year Remy, and now Remy
and Logan would pick one family to help. As much as he
wanted to save them all Remy knew he couldn't so he
picked one family that just needed a little EXTRA help
to get them back on their feet and out of the shelter.

" The Jackson's, don't know the mom's name but she's
got two boys, Kevin and Ethan."

" Her name's Laura an' she's got a daughter too.
Rachel, pretty thing and real smart. She watches her
brot'ers while de mom works but she never went t'
college so she can' get a decent job."

Logan smiled and kissed the top of his young lover's
head. Leave it to Remy to know everything about
everyone at the shelter. " Okay Mr. Know it all, how
do we help 'em?"

Remy opened his mouth to speak and a coughing fit
attacked him. He was holding his ribs and tears were
streaming from his eyes when he could finally breath
again. " 'M okay Cher."

Logan scooted up to the headboard and pulled Remy to
his chest. " I'm callin' Hank."

" Non! Y' a'ready abandoned de party, he's gotta stay
down dere! "M fine, really. We gotta fin' Laura a
better job an' a better place t' stay.De shelter's
safe an' all but she needs a REAL home f' dose
kids."He started coughing again.

Logan pulled him close and held him tight until he got
the coughs under control.When the attack ended he
kissed the top of his lovers head again. He hated to
see the kid so sick and he knew how disappointed he
was that he was missing the party he worked so hard to
plan. " I know some people...the jobs no problem. What
'r we gonna do about the place t' live?"

Remy closed his eyes and thought a moment, "she ain'
gonna take charity... I'm gonna MAKE an inheritance
appear." He looked back toward his lover " I got de
place, I kinda own an apartment buildin' by de
school."

Logan laughed and hugged the boy again. " Are you EVER
gonna stop amazing me?" he asked.

" Hope not Cher, y' might get tired of me."

He was smiling but Logan couldn't miss the insecurity
in those gorgeous eyes. " Hell's gonna freeze over
LONG before that could ever happen darlin'." He would
never get tired saying that to the kid but no matter
how many times he said it; no matter how many times he
told him that in all his long years there hadn't been
anything that even CLOSELY compared, Remy still seemed
sure that eventually Logan would leave him too.

ONE WEEK LATER

"MERRY CHRISTMAS MOMMY! Santa came! Mommy GET UP!"
Three bundles of energy were bouncing up and down on
her bed and Laura smiled as cold dry toast was shoved
in her face. It was a tradition from better times, No
Presents Until Mommy Has Breakfast! She felt a twinge
of pain in her heart when she remembered the last
Christmas she spent with her husband before he got
sick. They forced down cold toast and something that
was SUPPOSED to be coffee as all three kids dumped
their Christmas stockings on the bed. Everyone was so
happy then. She tried to do the best she could for her
children, if she could just get a better paying job...

" Laura, there's a man on the phone for you." Robin
Spencer said from the hallway outside her open door.
" I think you need to take this call." She was
pointing at the phone by the bed and smiling. She
seemed really excited.

Laura picked up the phone "Hello?" Her eyes grew big
and she swallowed hard. "Kids, quiet! Yes...I-I'm
still here." She nodded as if the person on the other
end of the line could see her. " I'll be there on
Monday" she said quietly and hung up the phone. She
looked at her friend in the doorway. " I got a job, I
applied there months ago and they never called back."
she sounded like she was in shock. " It pays TWICE
what I'm making now."

" Did you get a present mommy?" Ethan asked.

She pulled her youngest son close to her chest, " Yeah
sweetie, mommy got the best present! Why don't you
guys go see what Santa brought you?" Not another word
was needed as the children squealed and thundered down
the stairs to the shelters Christmas tree. " Robin,
how did this happen?" she asked the director of the
shelter.

Robin was well aware of who the Santa probably was.
She would call him later and thank him; she'd hoped
that the Jackson's would be chosen this year. " You
just have to believe in miracles." was all she said. "
Come down, you have another gift under the tree."

******************

" T'anks Robin, I will. Joyeux Noel." Remy's smile was
brilliant as he flopped back into the bed and was
swept into a strong embrace.

" Well?" Logan asked as he kissed the perfectly
positioned neck beside him.

" Everyt'ing's perfect. Oh Cher..." he moaned as the
warm lips concentrated on the spot just under his ear.
Logan decided at that moment that he never wanted the
sweet sounds that his lover was making to ever end.
When Logan was sure Remy was sufficiently aroused he
stopped his leisurely attack. " You so mean t' me
Cher!" Remy whined. He quickly rolled over on top of
the older man and ran his fingers through the thick
black hair.

Logan stared up into beautiful red eyes and brushed
back silky auburn hair. " I thought ya might want yer
present but if ya wanna wait..."

" Non! You been teasin' poor Remy f' a week now, what
y' get me?" His smile was sweeter than anything Logan
could ever remember seeing and as infectious as Hell!

" Okay, you've been good about stayin' in bed and
takin' yer meds." He reached into the drawer of the
nightstand and pulled out a small gift box. Remy's
eyes went wide with shock. All of a sudden Logan was
scared. What if he hated it? What if...He handed the
gift to Remy and squirmed as he carefully opened the
paper. The hand carved wooden box was an antique and
Remy's trained eye admired the craftsmanship. Inside
the box was a hand braided leather bracelet and a
note:

Remy,
I could never find the words to convince you my love
was real, I hope this will convince you. Once that
bracelet goes on your wrist you belong to me forever.
I love ya kid.
Yours forever if you'll have me,
Logan

Remy's eyes shot from his lover's eyes to the
bracelet. " Y' wan' dis? Y' wan' ME?"

Logan pulled him back down into a hug and kissed his
soft hair, " Forever Rem. Thought a ring was
too...girly. So? Should I tie it on? Do ya wanna be
stuck with this old- "

Remy never let him finish the sentence. The kiss was
exquisite, soft and tender and overflowing with love.
Many hours later, after much love making and chuckling
over the curses and banging on their door to come down
to dinner, they finally made their announcement to the
team.

***SPRING***

As Laura Jackson unpacked the last of her belongings
and placed her wedding picture on the mantle in her
new home two lovers kissed in front of a small
gathering of friends and promised to love each other
until the end of time.

End

**note** Guest starring my kids as the Jackson's!(told
ya in the beginning they were mine!) Their dad is fine
thank you, a workaholic, but fine. :)