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Chapter Text

Peter's Basement - 1983

Peter had been spending his morning in his Mom's basement, he rarely left it these days. His Mom had tried to persuade him to get out more and do something with his life, but he wasn't budging. He enjoyed playing video games and watching old movies, this was his sanctuary. He liked keeping himself isolated from the world, he had many reasons to stay in his basement these days. Since everything that went down in Washington with Magneto back in 1973 he kind of blamed himself for the attack on the White House, if he hadn't taken part in the prison break with Charles, Logan and Hank then none of it would have happened. He had watched Magneto's attack on the White House on the television with his Mom and his younger Sister, the next day it was on the front page of every newspaper around the world.

Peter had collected the newspapers and read the articles to find out more information about the man he had helped to set free from the Pentagon. His Mom had told him not long after the White House attack that Magneto was his Father. He had searched for Erik for a few months, but he couldn't find him anywhere. After that Peter had decided to change his ways, he wanted to be a good guy. But that didn't last for long, he signed up for the 1976 Summer Olympics. He had entered the distance running event, to be a distance runner the athlete must achieve an Olympic qualifying time and qualify for their nation's Olympic team. He managed to fly through all the events set for him, his Mom was very proud of him. He had done well in the 1976 Summer Olympics, he broke several world records with the help of his mutant ability. But his fifteen minutes of fame didn't last long, in 1977 he got found out. The World Record people declared it as a scandal, he had used his mutant ability in public. He had been careless and that's when mutants got banned from all future professional sports competitions. It had been all over the news and in the newspapers, he kept some of the newspapers though for future lessons he had to teach himself.

Peter's Mom was upstairs watching television and his Sister was at school, he planned on doing nothing today. Sitting on the edge of his bed he flicked through the television's channels, he stopped on one of the channels for a moment and watched a little bit of Knight Rider. He really liked that show, he would totally love a talking car. But as always Peter settled on the news, he had to get his daily news fix. His gaze was fixated on the television set when a special news report flashed up on the screen, the first thing he noticed was a picture of Magneto. Something bad had gone down in Poland, he listened and watched the news report.

" Lehnsherr was identified yesterday in this small town, in central Poland. Leaders from all communities are urging their citizens to remain calm has police and armed forces are mobilizing to find Lehnsherr before he can strike again. If anyone has information about Lehnsherr, or as he is also known as Magneto."

Sighing to himself Peter took a business card from his trouser pocket, he looked down at it and nervously played with the card. Charles Xavier had given him this card back in 1973, he always kept it close since he found out about Erik Lehnsherr being his Father. He had thought about visiting Charles more than once over the years, but the fear of rejection always kept him in his basement.

" Contact you local authorities immediately. And proceed with caution. Has he is considered extremely dangerous..."

"Peter!"

Peter quickly changed the channel when he heard his Mom's voice calling for him from upstairs, he zoomed over to his coffee table and placed the television remote down before he settled in front of his Pac-Man arcade machine. He began to play his game while his Mom walked down the staircase to his basement, he knew why she was here.

"What's up?" Peter asked.

" I'm just checking on you." Marya replied.

" I'm good, playing Pac-Man." Peter said.

" Are you sure?" Marya asked while she picked up the television remote and changed the channel. " You weren't watching this?"

Peter sighed with annoyance, his Mom was always doing stuff like this when it came to Magneto. He understood why she was worried about him and he was grateful that she cared for him, but he was old enough to make his own decisions now. Peter had made a lot of bad choices over the years, but he was learning from his mistakes.

" The world was celebrating ten years of peace between mutants and man kind."

" You're going after him, aren't you?" Marya asked.

" You wanted me to get out of the house more, right?" Peter asked.

" I can't stop you." Marya replied, there was concern in her voice. " Nobody can. Trust me, this won't end well. Nothing does with him."

Peter lost his game of Pac-Man and turned around to face his Mom, he knew she didn't'want him to go anywhere near Magneto. She had told him what had happened before he was born between her and Erik, it wasn't pretty. His Mom had met Erik back in the 1950s, she was a waitress in a Cocktail Bar and he was her customer. They had flirted with each other and shared the odd drink together, she had told Peter that Erik was rather charming. He had wooed her and his Mom had ended up falling for him, that's when they began their rocky relationship. They were on and off for months, they had many arguments. Erik had told his Mom that he was a mutant, but that never bothered her. She cared for him, but one night that all changed.

It was a Friday night, Peter's Mom had gone to work as normal. She served drinks and carried on with her normal waitress duties, but one of the male customers got a little bit hands on with her. He pinched her backside and harassed her. Erik had turned up at the Cocktail Bar to surprise his Mom with a bouquet of flowers, but he had witnessed the random man pinching his then lover's backside. Erik had been furious, that's when he unleashed his mutant ability on the Cocktail Bar. He tore the places apart and hurt many innocent people, but the worse part of the story was yet to come. Erik had ended up killing the man who pinched his Mom's backside, a rogue metal table leg had pierced through the man's skull which killed him instantly. That's when his Mom ended their relationship and moved back to live with her Mother, not long after that she found out she was pregnant with Peter. She never told Erik about their Son, she hoped Peter would never find out about him.

" I'm not afraid of him." Peter said.

" You should be." Marya said.

Peter watched his Mom leave his basement, he now knew what he needed to do. He was going to go to Poland and find Erik, he needed help his Father. Zooming around his basement he changed into his Rush t-shirt and put his silver leather jacket on, he then grabbed his goggles before he hurried up his basement's staircase. Entering the hallway he put his goggles on and glanced at his Mom while he walked passed the living room, she was watching the Wheel of Fortune with a glass of brandy in her hand. He worried about his Mom a lot, her drinking had gotten more frequent lately.

" Mom, I'm going out!" Peter yelled before he opened the front door. " I'll be back later!"

" Peter, wait!" Marya said.

Peter stopped and waited for his Mom in the doorway, he watched her place her glass down on the coffee table before she joined him at the doorway. He was actually surprised when she wrapped her arms around him, it was rare that she gave him hugs these days. He couldn't help but hug her back, he knew she'd be worried about him as long as he wasn't sitting downstairs in his basement.

" I'll be fine." Peter said with a smile." I'm just going to Poland and checking up on him, I'll be back before you know it."

" Just be careful around him, I don't want you to get hurt." Marya said.

" I'll keep my distance from him, I promise." Peter said.

" Please do, he's a dangerous man..." Marya said.

" I know, I'll be careful." Peter said.

Peter pulled himself away from his Mom, she cupped his face with her hands. She begged him to stay at home today, but he wanted to be there for his Father this time. Peter pulled his goggles over his eyes, he gave his Mom a reassuring smile before he zoomed out of the house. He had mapped out the route he would be taking to Poland inside of his head, he had quickly studied a map before he left his basement. He had to leave DC, then make his way through various highways and cross Chesapeake Bay Bridge to reach Kent Island. From there he will follow the highways and pass through many cities until he reached the ocean, that's when he'll have to travel across the Atlantic Ocean by foot. After he had crossed the Atlantic Ocean he should arrive at Morocco, then he can just run through Europe to reach Poland.

Peter's planned route worked out pretty well for him, he arrived in Morocco and stopped for moment to pour some sand from his sneaker. After that he got himself a burger and some fries, he needed a quick snack before he travelled across Europe. He zoomed through Europe and managed to arrive in Poland in under one hour, he checked his watched before he set off again. He found the small town where Erik had been living for the past ten years, it didn't take him long to find his Father's home since there was a photograph in the local newspaper. There was a police car parked in the driveway of Erik's home address when Peter arrived there, the house had been cordoned off with tape. He could only see two police officers standing outside of the house but there could be more around the area. He watched the two policemen talking outside of the house, he had already checked the perimeter so he knew he would be able to get inside of the house without being detected. Zooming passed the two policeman he entered the house and stopped in the middle of the living room, he glanced around at his surroundings.

The living room looked like a Lumberjack's cabin, there was a stone fireplace with a pile of logs next to it and many wooden carvings of deer oddments on one of the sideboards. Peter walked around the room and peered into the the kitchen through an open doorway, it looked like none of the rooms had been overturned or searched yet from what he could see. His attention was soon drawn to the wooden staircase in the room, he zoomed up the staircase and checked the rooms upstairs. Pulling his goggles away from his eyes Peter walked into one of the bedrooms, it looked like a child's room. There was an unmade bed beneath the window and flowers painted on the walls, he could see a suitcase half packed on the end of the bed. Whatever had happened here it looked like they were in a hurry to leave, but it had been too late for them to escape. He had read what had happen in the newspaper, he knew who this bedroom use to belonged to before the accident in the woods had happened. Nina Gurzsky, his younger half Sister.

Peter had seen Nina's photograph in the newspaper, it was awful what had happened to her and her Mother. Sighing deeply to himself he left the bedroom and headed back downstairs, he needed to find Erik as soon as possible. Getting to the bottom of the staircase he noticed some silver coloured photo frames on a cabinet, he zoomed over to them and picked up one of the photo frames. It was a photograph of Erik and his wife on their wedding day, they looked so happy. He placed it back down and looked at the other photo frames, they were mostly of Nina. Looking at them one by one he couldn't shake off the guilty feeling that was building up inside of him, if only he had been on time. He could have saved Erik's wife and Daughter, those Police officers in the forest wouldn't be dead.

A single tear rolled down Peter's cheek, he was trying to hold it together but it was hard. Erik had been happy here, he had a family and they were taken away from him so cruelly. Nina was just a kid, she was his half Sister and that hurt him even more. She didn't deserve to die and neither did her Mother, it was a tragic accident. Peter wiped his tears away with the back of his hand and took a family photograph from it's frame, he was going to try and make things right for his Father's sake. He folded the photograph in half and put it in his jacket's inside pocket to keep it safe, he then pulled his goggles over his eyes. Peter knew there was only one person who may be able to help him right now, someone from his past. The Professor he had met back in 1973, he may know what to do since he knew Erik. Charles would be able to point him in the right direction, it was the only option he had right now. Peter took one last look around the living room before he zoomed out of the house, he was going to find Erik and tell him that he wasn't alone.

Chapter Text

Xaviers School For Gifted Youngster - 1992

Three Days Later

Peter had awoken from bad dreams again, he sat up in his bed and breathed heavily while he wiped sweat away from his brow with the back of his hand. He was still trying to take in all that happened to him and his friends over the last few days, everyone's lives had been affected by Jean's departure from Planet Earth. Pulling his blankets away from himself he swung his legs over the edge of his bed, he winced as he placed his feet down on the floor. His body was still sore and bruised after Jean had tossed him to one side when he had tried to stop her, it would take him sometime to get himself back to his normal speedy self. After a few minutes he decided to move, he went for a quick shower and changed into his causal attire. Next he made himself some breakfast, that's if you can call a packet of twinkies and a mug of coffee breakfast. He knew he should be eating something more healthier, but right now he couldn't be bothered to use the teacher's kitchen. When he was finished he left his dorm room and closed the door behind him, he wanted to see what was going on around the school today.

Peter took his time walking along the corridor, he was trying not to go too fast. Hank had advised him to take it easy, it would take his body time to get back to it's full potential again. It did drive him crazy having to go slow though, but there was nothing he could do about it for now. Turning right into another corridor he stopped dead in his tracks, he could see Scott standing at the other end of the corridor by the staircase that lead to the main hallway of the school. Peter hadn't really spoken to Scott since Jean left, he didn't really know what to say to him. Scott had been distancing himself from everybody at the school, it would take time for him to adjust without the love of his life around. He sighed while he watched Scott leave, he then walked down the rest of the corridor and made his way downstairs to the main hub of the school. There was a group of students gathered by a side table, he had no idea what they were doing so he went over to investigate. But to his surprise they were making a shrine for Raven, they had placed a framed photograph of her and a vase of Irises on the table.

" Hey Peter!" One student said. " How are you feeling?"

The voice of the student caught his attention, he looked at the young girl standing next to him. Her name was Kitty Pride, she had the mutant ability to phase herself through any objects. She had actually caught Peter off guard once and scared the crap out of him when she ran through a wall, she had impressed him though with her willingness to learn. Peter had helped her out now and again with her homework, she had a long way to go yet though in the world of maths.

" I'm good thanks, what's going on here?" Peter asked.

" Were making a shrine for Raven." Kitty replied, she looked nervous. " Do you think Raven would have liked it?"

" Raven would have loved it." Peter replied with a smile. " But I think there's one thing missing from the table."

" And what's that?" Kitty asked.

" A packet of M&Ms, she loved them." Peter replied. " One time she had a packet of them in her pocket in the Danger Room, let's say they fell out of her pocket and caused an accident."

" I'll see if I can find a packet at lunch time, thanks Peter!" Kitty said.

" You're welcome." Peter said.

Peter watched the students leaving for their morning classes, the school day would be starting soon. He made his way over to the table and looked at the flowers, he hadn't had the chance to visit Raven's grave yet since he was meant to be resting. But since he was up and about he could pay his respects to his fallen friend, her grave sight wasn't that far away from the school. Taking two Irises from the vase he glanced over his shoulder before took a packet of strawberry flavoured bubble gum from his hoody's pocket, he placed them next to the framed photograph of Raven. That was his gift for Raven's shrine, it was a weird gift but he knew Raven would have laughed about it. He took another look at Raven's photograph before he walked off down the corridor, he passed many classrooms. The students were doing their daily lessons and he even saw Storm teaching her class about weather elements, she was using her mutant ability to teach them. He'd actually sat in some of her lessons, she was really a good teacher and she made it fun which was totally awesome for the students.

Turning into another corridor he noticed Charles wheeling his way towards him, the Professor looked tired and drained. He had been spending a lot time in his office lately, Peter knew Charles had been struggling over Jean's departure and the death of Raven. He wasn't the only one though, he knew that Hank wasn't on speaking terms just yet with Charles. Peter stopped and waited for Charles, he hadn't been around when the Professor made the decision to go after Jean and try to save her. To be honest he probably would have taken Charles's side, he knew Raven would have wanted to save their fellow team member. He smiled at Charles when he finally got closer to him, the Professor stopped in front of Peter and gave him a worrying look.

" I thought you were meant to be resting..." Charles said.

" I know, but there's something I need to do." Peter said.

" Peter, it can wait." Charles said, his speaking tone was soft." Raven would want you to rest, she cared for your wellbeing."

Peter sighed to himself, he knew Charles must have read his mind unless he was thinking out loud again. It happened now and again while he was around the Professor, some of his thoughts had amused him and others raised some questions. Especially his thoughts about aliens and Ms Pac-Man, he thought about weird things to cover up his deeper darker secrets.

" You know that I will leaving the school soon, but I want you to know I'll always be there for you." Charles said with a smile " You know when I've set up a landline in Paris, I will be sending my residential details to Hank in due time."

" So you're really leaving, huh?" Peter asked.

" I've got no other choice." Charles replied, he made eye contact with Peter and sighed. " I cannot fix what is broken, but I know for a fact the school will be in safe hands with Hank. I know you will play your part in keeping the students safe, I have faith in all of you."

" I know that, but it won't be... I mean, we'll miss you." Peter said.

Peter was really going to miss Charles, he had met him in the most bizarre way back in 1973. He hadn't expected to make friends from something really illegal, he hadn't even had the chance to speak to him about Erik being his Father yet. He really wanted to reach out to Erik more than ever lately, especially after Raven's death. Maybe this would be the only chance he'd ever get to speak to the Professor about it.

" Charles, have you heard from Erik lately?" Peter asked.

" You wish to seek him out, am I correct?" Charles asked.

" What? No, I mean I guess so..." Peter replied in a confused tone. " Do you know something? Tell me, what do you know?"

" I've known for sometime now, it's hard to ignore your thoughts when you're thinking them out loud in the middle of morning assemblies." Charles replied while a smile crept across his face. " I never brought up the subject out of respect for your privacy. Peter, if you ever need my help I'll be here to support you. I've known Erik for a very long time, the man is stubborn but he may listen."

" I don't know bro, what if he rejects me?" Peter asked.

" It's a risk I'm afraid you're going to have to take, the decision is yours alone." Charles replied before he wheeled himself forward. " I have business to attend to, but find me later if you wish to continue this conversation. I will be in my office."

" Sure, thanks Professor." Peter said.

Peter watched Charles wheel himself down the corridor before he made his way to the main entrance of the school, he opened the door and walked outside. The day was rather pleasant and there wasn't one single cloud in the blue sky, he hadn't really been outside since he got injured. The school's grounds were empty and quiet since all the students were in their lessons right now, it was probably for the best since Peter wanted a little bit of privacy at Raven's graveside. Following the pathway from the main entrance of the school he kept his gaze on the ground while he walked, all he could think about was Raven. She was the first person he had told about Erik being his Father, she didn't keep that secret for long though since she told Storm. But that didn't matter, she was a good friend and mentor. The late night chats they had in the teacher's kitchen over coffee and croissants, the training in the Danger Room. He was going to miss the little things, those were the kind of memories he would treasure forever about Raven.

Peter continued to think about his fallen friend as he left the pathway, he walked up a steep hill and rested his hand on his side. His body was still pretty bruised and tender, his face was healing fast though. Getting to the top of the hilltop he stopped next to Raven's graveside, there were stone angels and flowers already on her grave. The students must have been visiting her grave and leaving gifts for her, she was a hero to them. Standing at Raven's graveside was one of the hardest things Peter had ever had to do, but he never got the chance to say goodbye to his friend. When he had heard the news about Raven his heart had sank, he always looked up to her as his mentor. She had taught him so many things over the years, she would be truly missed by everybody at the school. Wiping his nose on his hoody's sleeve he placed the two Irises on her grave, the blue flowers reminded him of Raven. Not just because they were blue, they symbolized valor, courage, wisdom and beauty. Everything that she was in life, a true hero.

" Rest in peace Raven, I'll make you proud." Peter said.

Chapter Text

Thanksgiving For Mutants

Peter stepped back and crossed his arms while he admired the Dinner Hall, he had been busy this morning with preparations for Thanksgiving with Jubilee. They had been planning this event since the beginning of November, they wanted to make sure everything was just right for the day. Jubilee did most of the planning though, she loved arranging events and parties at the school. Some of the students went home to visit their families for Thanksgiving, but for some of the students it didn't work out that way. The students who didn't have anybody for the holidays stayed at the school with Charles and the Team Leaders. Charles always made sure all of the students enjoyed the day, it's how they rolled in the mansion.

The tables had already been laid out with plates and cutlery, there were fancy paper turkeys place in the middle of each table. The chairs had fancy looking chair covers and the fireplace of the hall had already been lit by Raven, the roaring fire was giving off a pine kind of scent. Multicoloured paper hoops hung down from the hall's ceiling and floral wreaths replaced old portraits for the day, it looked pretty good. Jubilee had insisted on putting the Christmas tree up in the corner of the Dinner Hall, she said it would give the place a more festive feel even if it was Thanksgiving. Jean and Scott were busy putting decorations on the Christmas tree, Jean was using her mutant ability to float baubles from a box near her feet. She allowed the baubles to float towards the branches of the tree, she then carefully hooked them into place by hand.

" Do you think we need anything else?" Jubilee asked.

" I think we've done enough." Peter replied, he looked at his friend. " It's festive, I mean we could keep them up throughout December."

" That's my plan, pretty smart huh?" Jubilee asked.

" It saves time I guess." Peter replied.

" Totally." Jubilee smiled.

" So, have you packed yet?" Peter asked while he was watching Jean and Scott. " You're visiting you're parents after Thanksgiving, right?"

" Change of plans, they're going to Hawii for the holidays." Jubilee replied, she tilted her head to one side and tucked her hands into her jacket pockets" I don't mind, I'll be visiting them for Christmas anyway. Thanksgiving at my house is all about fancy napkins and Grandma's special popcorn, it's very dull. It's more exciting at the school, it blows up sometimes."

" Popcorn sounds better than microwavable meals." Peter said.

" Doesn't your Mom cook Thanksgiving dinner?" Jubilee asked.

" Not since the cherry bomb Turkey incident back in 1970." Peter replied.

" Wait, what?!" Jubilee asked.

" Hey Jubes, a little help here!" Scott said, he waved some tangled fairy lights in her direction. " We've got a technical issue here, they're tangled."

" Surely you can untangle some lights, Scott." Jubilee said.

" Scott isn't that great with his hands." Jean said.

" Eww, gross!" Jubilee said.

" Double gross..." Peter said.

" It was a joke, guys." Jean smiled before she glanced at Scott. " I didn't mean it, he's perfectly capable with his hands."

" Guys..." Scott sighed.

" Okay, fine!" Jubilee said, she looked at Peter and smiled at him. " We'll talk later, I want to hear about the cherry bomb Turkey incident."

" Okay." Peter said.

Jubilee joined Scott and Jean at the Christmas tree, she began helping Scott with the tangled lights. Peter decided to go to see what else was going on around the mansion, he was curious since this was his first Thanksgiving at the school. He left the Dinner Hall and made his way down the corridor, the school was quiet this morning since most of the students were visiting family for the holidays. Peter noticed Storm and Kurt near the main staircase of the school, they were helping some of the students with Christmas decorations. He waved to his friends while he walked passed them, he would see them later when dinner was being served. He kept on walking until he reached the corridor that lead to the Professor's office, he could see Charles in his office. Charles was sitting at his desk, he was going through some paperwork and enjoying a cheeky tipple of brandy. It wasn't long until Charles noticed Peter, he gave him smile and moved his wheelchair away from his desk. He maneuvered himself out his office and made his way along the corridor, he stopped not far away from Peter.

" Hello Peter, how are the preparations going in the Dinner Hall?" Charles asked.

" They're going good, I think Jubilee as over done it though." Peter replied.

" Jubilee is a vibrant and creative student, I expect nothing less from her." Charles said with smile. " I'm looking forward to seeing her take on Thanksgiving this year, but why are you still here? I thought you were going home for Thanksgiving, have your plans changed?"

" We never eat until late at my Mom's house, it's a family tradition." Peter replied while he tucked his hands into his trouser pockets. " I thought I'd hang around here until then, you know have something to eat and celebrate some of the day with the students."

" You're a thoughtful man, Peter." Charles smiled. " I know the students will appreciate your company, I've heard their thoughts about you. It seems likes you've made quite the impression on their young minds."

" Not in a bad way, I hope..." Peter said.

" No, it's been positive thoughts my friend." Charles said.

" Thank god for that..." Peter said, a dorky laugh escaped his lips. " I thought I was going to have to move out of the school for a second there."

" You're fitting in nicely here, but if you would please excuse me." Charles said, he moved his wheelchair forward and passed Peter in the corridor." I have somewhere to be, but I will see you at dinner."

" Okay, sure." Peter said.

Peter watched the Professor leave before he walked along the corridor, he was going to check out the teacher's kitchen next. Peter knew all of the school's kitchens would be in use today, the cooks of the school had made a router between them. It made sense to share the load, they had a lot of food to prepare for the students and staff of the mansion. Stopping in the teacher's kitchens doorway Peter saw Raven and a group of students, they were gathered around a table. They were peeling and chopping vegetables, there was four big cooking pots of boiling water on the stove. Peter could smell sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows cooking in the oven, it wasn't long until Raven noticed him standing in the doorway.

" I'm surprised to see you here, are you hungry?" Raven asked.

" Not yet, I'm just checking up on you." Peter replied with a smile. " You know in case you burn anything, I've seen the way you cook."

" I can chop vegetables, it's not rocket science." Raven said.

Peter entered the kitchen and said hey to the students, he couldn't help but steal a couple of chopped carrots from a bowl. He walked around the kitchen and helped himself to anything that was already cooked, he was getting hungry now. The students soon began to move some of the cooked foods to the main school's kitchen, they told Raven they would be back soon.

" Why are you here, Peter?" Raven asked, she continued to chop some vegetables. " If you're here to help I wouldn't say no..."

" I'd have everything sliced and diced in seconds, where would the fun in that be?" Peter asked, he crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter. " There would be nothing left for you to do, I'm just going to be a spectator."

Raven shook her head at Peter and threw a piece of carrot at him without any warning, but he caught it with his hand. He smiled at Raven before he popped it into his mouth, he then continued to speak with her while she chopped the vegetables. She asked him why he wasn't going home for Thanksgiving yet and if he had thought about finding Erik, he quickly avoided the Erik question.

" I'm going to visit my Mom later, we have dinner around 5pm." Peter said. " We have microwavable meals in front of the television and watch a few game shows, then we eat ice cream with peanut m&ms. It's pretty quiet, but I like it that way."

" That does sound nice, it beats cooking dinner." Raven said.

" Yeah, I wouldn't change it for the world." Peter said.

Peter and Raven made small talk, they spoke about past Thanksgivings. Peter had many stories to share with Raven about his childhood Thanksgivings and Christmases, he made her laugh over a story about an exploding Turkey. Raven told Peter that she hadn't really celebrated Thanksgiving for over a decade, this would be her first one since she moved back to the school.

" When me and Charles were young we never really celebrated Thanksgivings, his Mother was British. His Step Father wasn't around much." Raven replied with a slight smile. " But Thanksgivinrg is a lot like Christmas with the food side of things, but there's no religious reason behind it. It's a day of giving thanks and sacrifice for the blessing of the harvest, I don't want to bore you with a history lesson."

" I give thanks for pumpkin pie and whipped cream, that's my religion." Peter chuckled.

" I should have known!" Raven smiled.

" What are you thankful for?" Peter asked.

" I guess I'm thankful for Charles, he never gave up on me after all of these years." Raven replied, she looked over at Peter and smiled at him. " Also the new family and friends I've gained, it's nice being being back at the school."

" One big dysfunctional family, I'm digging it." Peter smiled.

" Charles being the most dysfunctional one of all." Raven joked.

" I'm not going to argue with you, I totally agree." Peter laughed.

They continued to chat until the students returned to the kitchen, they had turned up with Hank. He was here to help out in the kitchen, he told them Charles had insisted that he helped Raven with the cooking. Peter could help but laugh over that little bit of information, the Professor knew that Raven couldn't cook to save her life.

" Where do you want me?" Hank asked.

" There's some potatoes that need peeling." Raven replied, she pointed her knife towards the oven. " Also I need someone to check on the sweet potato pie, oh shit! I forgot about the roast potatoes!"

" I've got it, just calm down." Hank said before he took a pair of oven gloves from the counter side. " Remember to breath and count to ten, I'll check on the sweet potato pie."

" I am calm!" Raven sighed.

" I'll leave you guys to it." Peter said.

Peter left Hank and Raven in the kitchen with the students, he was going to check on the rest of his friends. He made his way through the school until he reached the main staircase of the mansion, he saw Kurt and Storm wrapping some green tinsel up the staircase's banisters. He grabbed three baubles from a box and walked over to the bottom of the staircase, he told Kurt to watch this before he began to juggle them.

" Be careful you don't break them!" Kurt said.

" It's cool, I use to do this all the time with my little Sister." Peter said, he caught each one of the baubles and smiled at his friends. " See, it's fine."

" Why don't you come and help us." Storm said, she slightly shook her head at him. " We've got plenty of decorations that still need putting up around the school."

" Sure, I can do that." Peter said.

Peter zoomed over to the tinsel and hung the baubles from the festive string, he then took the tinsel from Storm's hand before he quickly wrapped it up the rest of the banister. He went and repeated his method on the other side of the staircase where Kurt was sitting, he then returned to the box full of baubles at the bottom of the staircase. Storm and Kurt looked puzzled when time returned to its normal pace, they both knew Peter had used his mutant ability to help them with the decorating. Peter picked the box up and carried it to the staircase, he then asked them where else in the school needed decorating. Storm told him she didn't have a clue, this was her first Thanksgiving at the school and that went for Kurt too.

" Maybe Jubilee and Jean know, I mean they've been here longer than us." Peter said.

" I think we've not finished here yet." Storm said while she joined him at the bottom of the staircase. " We need more baubles hanging from the tinsel on the banisters, they need to match on both sides."

Peter agreed with Storm, he had only put three baubles on the banister decorations. Kurt joined them and took some baubles from the box, he told his friends that he would do it. He bamfed up the staircase and hung the baubles with care on the tinsel, he looked happy with his decorating skills when he had finished. After that they began making there way to the Dinner Hall, they spoke to each other while they walked down the corridor together.

" I have never celebrated Thanksgiving before, is it like Christmas?" Kurt asked.

" Kind of, I mean there's food and presents." Peter replied.

" We dont celebrate Thanksgiving in Cairo, but in Egypt our Christmas is very different than the American version." Storm said, she crossed her arms and smiled to herself. " We ate Fata and waited for Baba Noel to leave us presents, that's what it was like when I was a kid."

" What is Fata?" Kurt asked.

" It's lamb soup." Storm replied. " It contains bread, rice, garlic and boiled lamb meat. It's very delicious and filling, it's been years since I last made it."

" It sounds good to me, you should make some for Christmas." Peter said.

" Maybe I will." Storm smiled.

Peter and his friends continued to talk together, it turned out that Peter had a lot to learn about his friends. Their lives were very different than his own, it turned out that they didn't have the childhood he had when he was growing up. Storm had been living on the streets in Cairo and Kurt had spent most of his life in the Circus, this was a fresh start for them both at the school.

" When I was preforming with the Munich circus I travelled the world, but I never got the chance to celebrate Thanksgiving." Kurt said with a smile. " I look forward to learning about your culture."

" I'll teach you everything I know, buddy." Peter said.

" Thank you so much, Peter!" Kurt smiled.

They entered the Dinner Hall and Peter zoomed over to Jubilee, he made her jump with his unannounced appearance. He laughed when she playfully punched his arm, Scott even found it amusing and Jean just rolled her eyes at them. Peter asked Jubilee and Jean where the rest of the decorations would go in the school, Jean told him that they could use the rest of the baubles on the Christmas tree.

" Why don't you help us." Jubilee said. " This tree is bigger than the girl's restroom."

" You're over exaggerating, it's not that big." Scott said.

" And how do you know, Scott?" Jubilee asked, she smiled at her friend. " Have you been using the girl's restroom or something?"

" Have you?" Kurt asked.

" No..." Scott replied.

" Are you sure?" Peter asked.

" Guys, please stop..." Scott sighed.

" I'm joking, you're so easy to wind up." Jubilee smiled before she looked at her other friends. " Do you guys want to help us or not? Six pairs of hands are better than three, also it could be fun."

" Sure, we can help." Peter said.

" It would be an honour to help!" Kurt said.

Peter held the box while his friends decorated the Christmas tree, he watched them laughing and talking to each other about today's plans. Kurt had many questions to ask about the day, he was curious about the American tradition. Jean and Jubilee gave Kurt a quick history lesson, it wouldn't be long until the Thanksgiving celebrations began.

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

A Few Hours Later

The Dinner Hall was busy and the smell of Turkey wafted through the school, everyone was ready for their dinner. Peter was sitting with Storm and Kurt, there was three students sitting at the table with them. There was about twenty students at the Thanksgiving dinner this year, it was sad how most of the student's families rejected them because they were diffetent.

Jean and Scott were sitting with Jubilee at another table, they were chatting with some of their fellow classmates. The main facility were sitting at one table, the hall was filled with laughter and joy. It wasn't long until the cooks of the school wheeled in the trolleys of food, they had plated up bowls of vegetables and other delicious Thanksgiving foods. There was three large turkeys on one food trolley, they had been roasted to perfection. Golden brown roast potatoes and juicy cranberry sauce. Mashed potatoes and stuffing balls, creamy macaroni and cheese. The school's cooks placed bowls of food on each of the tables, they planned to carve the turkeys and serve them before everyone began eating their dinner. It was time for Thanksgiving at Xaviers School For Gifted Youngsters to begin, but their headmaster had a few words to say before they started to eat. Charles moved his wheelchair away from the table where Raven and Hank were sitting, he stopped near the fireplace. His gaze lingered on the flickering flames of the fireplace, he looked lost in his own thoughts.

Peter looked around the hall, he could see all of the students watching their headmaster. Jean and Scott were whispering to each other, but Jubilee hushed them which caught the Professor's attention. He smiled at his students, it seemed like he had prepared a speech for the day. He cleared his throat and looked around the hall, his voice soon broke the silence.

" Today is not just for celebrations, it's a day for each and every single one of us to be thankful for what we have." Charles said, his gaze lingered on Raven for a brief moment. " We have gained new friends and family, we have lost old friends along the way..."

Peter listened to the Professor's speech, the old friends part stood out to him. He thought about Alex Summers, he had been too close to the blast. He looked over at Scott, he noticed Jean's hand on his arm. Scott looked upset, he missed his Brother and his family didn't want to celebrate Thanksgiving this year. Alex's death had hit Scott's parents hard, they were still grieving for their lost Son. Peter still felt guilty about not seeing Alex when he was rescuing the students and teachers from the exploding mansion, but there was nothing he could do about it. He was going to have to live with his guilt, but he would always be there for Scott if he ever needed him. His attention was soon drawn back to the Professor, he was still making his speech.

" I don't want to bore everyone with my speeches, I was once told I always have a speech by a very old friend of mine..." Charles said with a slight laugh. " But I want to wish each and every single one of you a Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy the day, you all deserve it."

The students began chatting and clapping the minute Charles finished his speech, he then returned to his table. The cooks of the school began to carve the turkeys while the students helped themselves to the bowls of vegetables at their tables, the celebrations were in full swing now. The hall was filled with laughter, it was nice seeing everyone happy after this year's events. Kurt was trying each dish he was offered, he was in his element. But he was soon distracted by some Christmas crackers, he was questioning some students about why they had crackers at Thanksgiving. Storm sat quietly and ate her dinner, she smiled at Kurt each time he laughed. Peter watched the students and his friends enjoying themselves, he had finally found somewhere he could belong in this crazy world.

Chapter Text

Somewhere in Washington - 1973

Peter was still buzzing from the prison break, he had never done anything so daring in all of his life. He had gotten himself into a few scraps in his time, but he had never broken into somewhere so governmental before. It had been easy for him to gain access to the lower parts of the Pentagon because he was fast, he was surprised that the plan had worked even though they nearly did get caught on the way out. Peter had saved the day, he actually enjoyed causing trouble in the Pentagon's kitchen. Rearranging bullets in mid air, throwing a plate like a frisbee and removing the guard's guns to stop them causing harm to others. The guards had ended up failing in their attempts to stop them escaping, it was amusing to see the surprised expressions on his fellow mutants faces. His Mom would kill him if she knew what he had done, he seriously needed to keep this secret to himself.

Charles had asked Peter to accompany them for the rest of their journey, he had a favour to ask of him before they left Washington. Peter couldn't refused the Professor's offer, he was having way too much fun with these random strangers. They all managed to squeeze into the rental car, it wasn't that comfy though. Peter was sitting in the back of the car between Charles and Erik, he thought it was for the best since Charles had punched Erik in the face. He had no idea what had happened between them in the past, but he thought it had been entertaining at the time. Peter couldn't keep his legs still in the back of the car, his feet were drumming on the car's floor and his legs kept jerking. He couldn't help it, he always found it hard trying to keep still when he was sitting down. Logan had told Peter to stop it more than once while Hank was driving the Chevrolet Nova, apparently it was distracting and annoying.

" Sorry, I can't keep still sometimes." Peter said.

" Yeah, I've noticed." Logan said.

" Just try and keep still, we're almost there." Charles said.

The atmosphere in the car was tense and awkward, it was too quiet for Peter's liking. He leaned forward and switched the radio on, he wanted to break the silence in the car before he lost his mind. The news immediately came on the radio, but Logan switched the radio off while he told Peter to sit back down and keep still. He sighed to himself and leaned back against the seat, he glance at Erik before he nervously licked his lips. He was curious about this guy, he found it weird how he could control metal. His Mom use to know a guy who could do that, it made his wonder if mutants could have the same ability has other mutants. He asked Erik a few questions, he wanted to know how long he had been kept prisoner at the Pentagon and if it was really true that he had killed the President. Erik had told Peter to mind his own business in a polite way, he accepted his answer. Peter looked at Charles next and shrugged his shoulders at him while he told him that he was just trying to be sociable. Charles advised Peter to remain silent for the rest of the journey for his own safety, he told him that Erik was temperamental at the best of times. Peter used his fingers to mimic a zip, he then pretended to zip his mouth shut. He sat in silence for a few minutes, but he soon began to get fidgety and he couldn't help himself but break the silence once again in the car.

" Where are we going anyway?" Peter asked.

" You're a curious one, aren't you?" Charles asked.

" Yep." Peter replied with a smile. " My Mom says that all the time, I basically know everyone's business in my neighbourhood."

" Where did you dig this one up from Charles?" Erik asked.

" It's a long story." Charles replied before he pinched the bridge of his nose. " We'll have more time to speak about it later."

" So, where are we going exactly?" Peter asked.

Charles explained to Peter that they had a flight waiting for them at the Washington Airstrip, they were jetting off to a different location after they had arrived there. But Peter wouldn't give up, he still wanted to know where they were going. Charles ended up telling him that it was private, the Professor was getting annoyed with Peter's endless questions. It wasn't long until the blue Chevrolet Nova pulled up outside of a private Jet, they all got out of the rental car and Peter couldn't help but admire the Jet.

" Do you guys own this private Jet?" Peter asked.

" Of course, I built it." Hank replied.

" Dude, seriously?!" Peter asked, he leaned his arm on the car's door and smiled at Hank. " What are you? An inventor or something?"

" Actually, I am." Hank replied.

Peter was impressed, he'd never met anyone like Hank or Charles before. He didn't know much about this guys but he kind of liked them. He glanced over his shoulder while he pulled his goggles over his eyes, everything around him soon began to slow down. He wanted to explore the private Jet before they left Washington, he was too curious for his own good. His Mom always told him he'd get himself into serious trouble someday, but he never listened. Zooming up the mobile steps he entered the Jet, it was lavish inside. There was a cream coloured leather couch and four chair compartments with tablets, he could also see a little part where they kept refreshments. He helped himself to some peanuts and threw one of them into his mouth, these guys knew how to travel in style. He zoomed to the cockpit and sat down on one of the pilot chairs, he flipped a few switches on and off on the control panel before he noticed a folder. He grabbed the folder and quickly flipped through the documents, it was the Jet's flight plan. He noticed that they were flying to Paris, he had no idea why they were going there though. Putting the folder back Peter zoomed back through the Jet and stood where he had been standing before he had used his mutant ability, he pulled his goggles away from his eyes while time returned to it's normal pace.

" Take it easy, kid." Logan said before he patted Peter's shoulder. " Try and stay out of trouble."

" Likewise." Peter smiled.

" Take care of yourself, maybe our paths will cross again someday ." Erik said while he offered him his hand. " You have an extraordinary gift, use it wisely."

" Yeah man, cool." Peter said.

Peter eyed up Erik first before he shook his hand, he was still curious about this guy he had broken out of the Pentagon. He watched Erik walking away from him, he was now questioning if he had done the right thing by helping Charles and his friends. This Erik guy had killed the President, he even confessed to it. He was dangerous, but surely Charles knew what he was doing by breaking him out of prison. He watched Logan and Erik boarding the Jet, he could tell there was somekind of tension between the group of men. He had no idea why though, but he would love to find out more about these guys. His attention was soon caught by Charles saying his name, he wanted a quick word with him before they left.

" Peter, thank you very, very much." Charles said.

"Hey, I saw your flight plan in the cockpit." Peter said in a curious tone. " Why are you going to Paris?"

Peter's curiosity had gotten the better of him once again, he had checked through all of their flight plans without their knowledge. The flight route had raised a few questions about why they were going to Paris, he was still interested in where they were going.

" Well, erm... it's just a business trip." Charles replied.

" What kind of business trip?" Peter asked.

" A very boring business trip." Hank replied, he glanced at Charles before he spoke with Peter again. " I'm a science and mathematics instructor at the Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters, we're on an educational business trip to Paris."

" Yes Hank, that right!" Charles said with a smile. " Just school business, very boring school business."

" What does school business have to do with breaking Erik out of the Pentagon?" Peter asked.

" That my friend is another story for another time." Charles replied, he glanced at his watch and touched Hank's shoulder. " Is that the time? We should be leaving, we have a tight shecule to follow..."

" Of course, Professor." Hank smiled.

Hank and Charles shook Peter's hand in turn before they started boarding the Jet, but without any warning Charles threw the rental car's keys at Peter. He managed to catch them, he looked at the car keys before his attention was drawn back to Charles and Hank.

" Do me a favour and return it for me." Charles said.

" Okay." Peter said.

" And, Peter?" Charles said, he pointed one of his fingers at him. " Take it slow."

Hank gave Peter an amused look before he followed Charles up the moible steps, the door of the Jet soon closed and the engines of the Jet were started up. Peter watched the Jet take off before he got into the car, he started the car up and looked up at the sky through the car's window. The Jet was far away from the Airstrip now, it was a little dot in the sky. Peter wished he was going on the rest of the jounrney with those guys, they seemed fun. But for now he had to return the rental car, he had a mission of his own to complete. He switched the radio on and the song Let's Get It On by Marvin Gaye blared from the car's speakers.

Peter drummed his finger tips against the stirring wheel as he drove out of the Airstrip, he stopped the car for a moment before he turned right out of the Airstrip. He drove along a country road until he reached the city, he didn't want to return the rental car just yet. The highways were busy and there was a strong police presence around the city, he knew they were on high alert since Erik had been bursted out of prison. He himself should be keeping low, but he was pretty sure he hadn't been caught on any of the Pentagon's security cameras. The news reader on the radio spoke about the prison break, they mentioned the name Erik Lehnsherr and how people shouldn't approach him because he was dangerous. That little bit of information worried Peter slightly, but there was nothing he could do about it now because Erik was on his way to Paris.

Peter changed the radio station and some music came on, he then pulled into a McDonald's car park and left the car running. He opened the car's door and left it half open, he was going to get himself something to eat since he felt hungry. He had used a lot of his energy up on the prison break, he needed to refuel. Pulling his goggles over his eyes time slowed down for him, he zoomed into the building and looked around the busy restaurant while he put his earphones in his ears. He pressed play on his walkman and the song Eclipse by Pink Floyd began to play, the customers in this fast food restaurant didn't know what was about to hit them.

All that you touch
And all that you see
All that you taste
All you feel

And all that you love
And all that you hate
All you distrust
All you save

And all that you give
And all that you deal
And all that you buy,
Beg, borrow or steal

Peter immediately took a burger from someone's hand, he quickly ate it while he zoomed around the dinning area. He helped himself to people's meals and coloured in one kid's puzzle drawings, when he was done he zoomed into the kitchen area of the fast food restaurant. The employees were busy with their daily routines, but they were like slow moving statues. One person was flipping a burger and someone else was shovelling fries into a paper bag, the scent of junk food lingered in the air. Peter licked his lips and took a look around the kitchen, he was starving right now. He zoomed over to the burger flipper and maneuvered the burger above the person's head before he ate the contents of the bag of fries the other person had been preparing for a costumer. He then headed over to the drinks depenser, he messed around with the levers until he accidentally broke one of them when he tried to switch it off. He was happy he wasn't the one cleaning up that mess, he didn't mean to break it. Rubbing his hands together Peter grabbed himself a brown paper bag and shovelled loads of french fries into the bag, he threw a couple of ketchup packets into the bag before he zoomed over to the ready made burgers. He took five cheeseburgers and seven boxes of chicken nuggets, he then helped himself to someone else's order.

Peter had stolen the customer's strawberry milkshake and apple pie, he jumped up onto the counter before he zoomed back to the rental car. Time turned to its normal pace when Peter kicked open the car's door with his foot, he got into the car and placed his stolen array of junk food on the passenger's seat. He had gotten away with his food heist, this was a good day for our speedy hero. He took a long slurp of his stolen milkshake while he closed the car's door, he could see a lot of confused employees and customers from where he was parked. A dorky laugh escaped his lips as he drove back onto the highway, he wanted to go on a joyride. He had no idea where he was going, but the thrill of breaking the law was giving him a high. He saw a sign saying Sandy Point State Park, it had been a very long time since he had visited the beach. The last time he went to a beach he had caused a sand storm, but that wasn't his fault though since he was just twirling his younger Sister around on the sand. They were only playing, but no one else saw it that way. He changed lanes on the highway and turned the volume up on the radio, he sung along to the song playing on the radio while he ate his french fries. He was digging the song named Can The Can by Suzi Quatro, he was a big fan of rock music.

The highways soon became streets, the scenery was changing. It wasn't long until he pulled up on the beaches car park, there wasn't many people around which was a good thing. He turned the car's engine off before he grabbed his fast food from the passenger's seat, he then sat on the car's hood. He looked out over the beach and watched the waves rolling onto the shore, it was peaceful out here. Peter thought about Erik and Charles again, he seriously wanted to learn more about them. He knew where Charles lived because he had given him a card for his school in his basement, but it made him ponder about what they were planning to do in Paris. He would never know unless he visited the school at some point, he definitely wanted to see the Professor again. His thoughts soon turned to getting the rental car back to the rental place since it was getting late, but his thoughts were interrupted by another thought. He began to think about how far this rental car could go, he had a tank full of gas and the highway was his oyster. He thought for another moment, he knew where he wanted to go to next. It would take him seventeen hours to get to Las Vegas from Washington, but it would be fun trying to get the rental car there.

" Okay baby." Peter said before he patted the car's hood. " Let's see how far you can go, it's Vegas time."

Chapter Text

1992

Xaviers School For Gifted Youngsters.

The school was bustling with life, the day had been busy. It was the yearly Halloween party at Xaviers School For Gifted Youngsters, but this year it would be different. The Professor had left the school and Raven had died, Jean was no longer around neither. It had been an awful few months, but Hank wanted the Halloween celebrations to go ahead. The students needed some normality, he thought the party would do everyone some good.

The Halloween party was being held in the Dinner Hall, the students had helped to move the tables and chairs. They needed room for a dance floor and place to setup the music system for a certain special superstar guest, it was beginning to take shape now. Some of the other students helped with the decorating of the mansion and there was a group of students in the teacher's kitchen, they had been helping with the food preparation. Peter was helping Storm and Kurt with the decorations in the Dinner Hall, he had nipped out for last minute decorations and Halloween candy. He walked along the corridor and watched a few students running passed him with rubber bats in their hands, he soon told them to slow down.

" Safety first, remember that!" Peter said.

The students apologised to Peter and slowed down, but he knew they would continue running when they turned into the other corridor. He soon reached the Dinner Hall, Storm and Kurt were hard at work with the purple coloured paper chains. They had managed to hang half of them on the ceiling, the hall was beginning to look spooky now. Kurt bamfed himself to the top of a ladder and used his tail to take the other end of the paper chain from Storm's hand, he then pinned it to the ceiling. Peter placed the box down on one of the buffet tables, he then began to unpack the contest of the box onto the table top. He had a mixture of candy, there were Candy Corns, Warheads, Hershey Bars, Skittles, Peeps and Dove chocolate bars.

" Do we need anything else?" Peter asked.

" We should have enough." Storm said while she looked over at him. " I know there's more candy in the kitchen, we're full stocked until Christmas."

" It's good to know we're fully stocked." Peter said, he popped a candy corn into his mouth. " I may have to restock later if my sweet tooth gets hungry."

Peter helped himself to some more of the Candy Corn while he poured it into a large bowl, he was a big fan of Candy Corn. He used to eat bags of them when he was a kid, he now understood why he had been such an hypoactive child. He continued sorting out the candy until he heard someone entered the Dinner Hall, he looked over his shoulder and saw a familiar face. It was Dazzler or Alison as most of the Team Leaders called her, she waved to them before she looked around the hall.

" Well this looks spooky, I love it!" Alison said.

" Alison, you made it!" Kurt said.

" There's my number one fan, how are you?" Alison asked.

Kurt bamfed over to Alison and greeted her with one of his big smiles, she took hold of his hands while she spoke with him. Kurt had insisted that they should invite Alison to the Halloween party, luckily for him she had agreed to come. She hadn't really been touring much since the Bonfire party incident, it had taken months for her arm to heal.

" Kurt, a little help here!" Storm said.

" Oh yes, sorry!" Kurt said.

" We'll talk later." Alison smiled.

Kurt bamfed himself back to the top of the ladder, they still had a lot of things to do yet. Peter smiled at Alison while he continued to take some more of the Halloween candy from the box, she was dressed in her normal attire. She walked over to Peter and rested her hands on the table, she drummed her fingernails against the table top while she decided which candy to take from the bowl. She helped herself to a cherry flavoured lollipop, she then turned her full attention to Peter.

" Hey Alison, how's it going?" Peter asked.

" I'm fabulous as always darling, how are you?" Alison asked.

" I'm good, keeping busy has always." Peter replied.

" That's good to hear." Alison said with a smile." Now then, where do you want me?"

Peter told Alison that they had setup a makeshift stage out of duct tape on the floor, it was going to have to do since they didn't have a stage to setup in the school. She told him she didn't mind, she was happy to preform for the students again. She left Peter to his candy duty and went to help out with the music system, the student who she went to help was starstruck. Peter soon finished his candy display, he had placed candy eyeballs in the bowl of Candy Corn and Skittles. It was like a sea of sugar, the students would be bouncing off the walls by midnight. Grabbing a few paper pumpkins he began placing them on different tables around the hall, but there was still plenty to do. They needed to sort out the disco lights and prepare a Halloween soundtrack, it was a good job Peter was around with his wide variety of music that he kept in his dorm room.

Kurt soon finished putting up the purple paper chains, he climbed down the ladder and looked through a box of prizes. They were having a fancy dress competition for the students, the best costumes got to pick a prize from the box. Kurt happily rummaged through the box, but his smile soon faded when he took a teddy bear from the box. The teddy bear was dressed as a devil, it had horns and a pitch fork in it's hand.

" This goes against my religion..." Kurt said.

" Kurt, it's a cute little devil teddy bear." Storm said, she took the soft toy from him. " It's a fancy dress prize, it's not evil."

" You have not seen Look Who's Talking Too, it was very disturbing!" Kurt said.

" The movie with the talking babies?" Storm asked.

" Did you not see the scene with the little devil? It scared the poor child by turning the cute teddy bear into a furious bear with fangs!" Kurt replied, his speaking tone was serious. " Why do they make movies like that?"

" Okay, no more comedy movies for you." Storm smiled.

Storm put the teddy bear back in the box and moved it away from Kurt, she told him they had more decorations to put up by the DJ Booth. Kurt took some more Halloween decorations from a box before he followed Storm to the other side of the hall, his tail grabbed at a witches broom while he walked passed Peter. Storm asked Peter to help them out, he soon followed after his friends. They didn't have much time left before the Halloween party began, it was going to start at 6pm.

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

A few hours later.

The evening soon crept upon Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters, the old grandfather clock in the main hallway chimed when it's clock hands struck 6pm. The students had been getting ready for the last few hours in their dorm rooms, the spirits were high tonight in the mansion. Some music was blarring from one student's room, they ended up turning it down though when they got a complaint from Hank. Paper Halloween decorations hung freely in some corridors, the colours of orange and purple stood out against the wooden furniture. A group of students hurried along the corridor, their costumes were fitting for the spooky season. Peter wasn't far behind them, he hadn't really made any effort for the Halloween party. He decided to wear normal clothes, he was too old to play dress up. But the students had other ideas for their Team Leader, they had a pair of sparkly red devil horns for him. A female student held the headband towards him, she was determed to make him wear them.

" This is for you!" She said.

" Fine, I'll wear them." Peter said, he allowed the student to put the devil horns on his head. " Next year I'm going to make you all wear bedsheets, it will be all tricks and no treats."

" It's a deal!" She said.

The students soon hurried away from Peter, he sighed to himself before he followed after them. Stuffing his hands into his black hoody pockets he turned into the corridor which lead to the Dinner Hall, he could already hear the music playing from the corridor. He could see blue and purple flashing lights coming from the hall, those colours were Alison's idea. The colours matched the spooky mood of the mansion, the theme was ideal for the Halloween party. He entered the Dinner Hall and headed straight to the buffet table, he was actually hungry. Storm was standing with Kurt, they were pouring different flavoured sodas for the students.

" Hey guys." Peter said.

" Hey Peter, do you want a soda?" Storm asked.

" Sure." Peter replied.

Kurt handed Peter a plastic red cup filled with ice cubes, he poured some orange soda into the cup for him and popped a candy eyeball into his cup. Peter liked the little spooky candy eyeball torch, it amused him even more because Kurt was actually getting into the Halloween spirit. Kurt wasn't too keen on the little paper black cats and the spooky sheet ghosts hanging from the ceiling, but he was trying for the students. Peter took a sip of his soda and scoped out the dance floor, the students were dancing to Teenage Frankenstein by Alice Cooper.

I'm a teenage Frankenstein
The local freak with the twisted mind
I'm a teenage Frankenstein
These ain't my hands
And these legs ain't mine

Peter bobbed his head along to the song playing, he had borrowed some of his mix tapes to one of the students who was managing the disco equipment. The students sang and jumped around with paper pumpkins in their hands, one student was showing his break dancing skills to Alison. She had joined the party early, one of the students had given her a pare of cat ears which she gladly wore on her head. Peter noticed Scott and Hank entering the hall, he was surprised they had turned up. Hank approached his fellow X Men and said hello to them, he was in his blue mutant form. Hank had stopped using his serum years ago, he wasn't ashamed to show his true mutation anymore. Scott took a drink from the table and turned his attention to the dance floor, this was the first time Scott had attended a party without Jean.

" The party seems to be going well." Hank said.

" You mean for now." Peter said with a smile. " There's still time for some mischief, it's only 6:45pm."

" We're holding you fully responsible if anything goes wrong." Storm said, she smiled at Peter. " I've spoken with your Mother, she told me a few tales about your past Halloween parties."

" Ms Maximoff was very informative about your childhood." Kurt smiled.

" She told me about the sheet ghost, didn't you scare your neighbour once with a bed sheet?" Scott asked.

" Remind me not to ask my Mom to visit the school anytime soon." Peter replied.

" I'm looking forward to her next visit." Storm said while she handed a drink to one of the students. " She said she'll bring your Sister with her next time, may be some baby pictures..."

" I'll burn them, watch this space..." Peter said.

Peter took another sip of his drink and helped himself to a tray of sandwiches before he took his place on the other side of the table, he had candy duty. Some of the students had already been sick due to the amount of candy they had eaten, they were sitting in the corridor until they felt better. He took a bite of his sandwich and handed out some of the candy to the students, but his attention was soon caught by a familiar voice.

" Hey losers, did you miss me?!" A familiar voice said.

Peter looked over his shoulder and smiled when he saw who the voice belonged to, it was Jubilee. Storm had invited her to the school's Halloween party, they didn't know if she would be able to make it since she had been visiting her parents in Beverly Hills. She was dressed in a long yellow leather jacket and a pink short dress beneath it, her dark hair was tied up into a high ponytail. She still wore her bright pink sunglasses from the 1980s though, she was still a fan of the eighties fashion. When Jubilee had graduated from the school back in the late 1980s the Professor had arranged for her to do a fashion degree in Milan, it was her destiny to work in the fashion industry. She had always sent them letters and posts cards on her travels, she was really enjoying her new fashion lifestyle.

" Oh my god, Jubilee!" Storm said, she approached her friend with open arms. " I can't believe you made it!"

" I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Jubilee smiled.

Storm hugged Jubilee, it had been years since she had visited the school. She had always been kept in the loop with all of the changes that were happening at the school, it's the way she liked it. She hugged her friends one by one, she high fived Peter over the bowl of candy because she couldn't reach him for a hug. But she soon looked over at Scott, he smiled at her before he placed his soda on the table. She flung her arms around him and held him close for a few seconds before she let him go, she knew about what had happened to Jean.

" I'm so sorry to hear about Jean." Jubilee said.

" Thank you." Scott said.

" I'm always here if you need to talk." Jubilee said with a smile. " She was a good friend, not much of a snazzy dresser but a good friend all the same."

" Thanks..." Scott said.

" So, how was Italy?" Storm asked.

Jubilee soon turned her attention to Storm, she had a lot to say about her fashion conference in Italy. Peter knew why Storm had asked Jubilee about Italy, she had done it for Scott. They didn't like talking about Jean around him, he was still grieving for her. The hall went quiet for a moment and the students began to cheer for Alison, it seemed like it was Dazzlers time to shine on the dance floor. Alison waved to the students as she took her rightful place inside the duct tape square, she blew a few kisses before she signaled to someone to start playing the music. The disco lights turned blue and the music began to play, the melody was eerie and beautiful. She took her place in front of her microphone and move one of her hands which immediately caused waves of light erupted from her finger tips. She looked elegant amongest the sparks, it wasn't long until her beautiful voice broke through the cheers.

I don't like them innocent
I don't want no face fresh
Want them wearing leather
Begging, let me be your taste test
I like the sad eyes, bad guys
Mouth full of white lies
Kiss me in the corridor
But quick to tell me goodbye

A bright smile graced Alison's face has she moved her hands to the music playing, she manipulated the sounds of the music into light. The students laughed and danced along to the music, the atmosphere was electric. A few of the students tried to catch the sparks of light with their hands, it was nice seeing the students enjoying themselves after the last couple of months. Kurt had been dragged onto the dance floor by a group of students, he was an excellent dancer and he showed off his robot dances moves.

My ghost
Where'd you go?
I can't find you in the body sleeping next to me
My ghost
Where'd you go?
What happened to the soul that you used

Peter took a sip of his drink while he watched everyone having fun, Jubilee had joined Kurt on the dance floor. Storm was standing with Hank and Scott, they were busy talking amongst themselves while they watched Alison preforming her song. Peter decided to go and check on the students in corridor, he left the Dinner Hall and made his way into the corridor. Tucking his hands into his hoody pockets Peter smiled at the students as he approached them, his sneakers were squeaking with each footstep he took. Some of the students were sitting on benches while other students were lying on the corridor floor, there was going to be some candy hangovers in the morning. He stopped in front of one male student and crouched next to him, the student was clinging onto his plastic pumpkin in case he threw up.

" Hey, how are you feeling?" Peter asked.

" Not that good." The student replied.

" Hang in there, okay?" Peter asked.

" I'll try..." The student replied.

Peter patted the student's arm and smiled at him, he was going to have one hell of a candy hangover in the morning. He spoke with the other students for a while until a bright red coloured flash caught his attention, his gaze was soon drawn to the Dinner Hall's open doorway. He got to his feet and stared along the corridor with a few of the other students, there was another flash of light not long after the first one. The students in the corridor asked Peter what was happening, he told them he wasn't sure.

" Stay here, I'll be right back..." Peter said.

There was another flash of light and a gust of wind blew some of the paper Halloween decorations from the corridor's wall, there was an eerie presence in the mansion. They could hear a commotion coming from the Dinner Hall, he told the students to go to the library instead of staying in the corridor while he checked out the party. He hurried along the corridor and entered the hall, his eyes grew wide at the sight that greeted him. There was a red flaming light forming in the middle of the dance floor, it looked like flames were flicking around a human form. The students were mesmerised by the supernatural presence, but Hank's voice soon broke through the choas. He told the students to exit the Dinner Hall in a sensible manner, the students began to hurried towards the door, but the hall's doors slammed shut which caused some of the students to scream. Jubilee tried her best to open the door, but it was locked.

" Open you damn thing!" Jubilee yelled.

Peter pulled Jubilee away from the door, he told her to remain calm while she clung to his arm. But panic broke out in the Dinner Hall when the windows of the hall smashed by themselves, everyone shielded themselves from the shards of glass. There were screams when a chilly breeze entered the hall. Paper pumpkins blew from table tops and some of the paper chains fell from the ceiling, a big gust of wind blew one of the buffet tables over.

" Take cover!" Storm yelled.

Some of the students hid behind the toppled over table while other groups of students huddled together behind Hank and Kurt, this presence was unknown to them all. Peter shielded his eyes while he tried to see what was going on, but the winds were too strong. Storm guided some of the students to the other side of the hall, they hid underneath some tables. Alison was hiding with some students behind the DJ Booth, it was chaotic. The wind soon died down and the fiery form began to settle, it's flames began to extinguish themselves. They could now see a woman, she had long fiery red hair and she wore torn clothes. A familiar face from their past, her blue eyes darted back and forth at her surroundings. The hall went deadly silent, they couldn't believe what they were seeing.

" Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Jubilee asked.

" Yeah, I think so..." Peter replied.

Alison got to her feet with the group of students from behind the DJ Booth, they were curious and fearful at the same time. No one dared say anything, the hall was silent. Jubilee let go of Peter's arm and slowly walked forward, he didn't even try to stop her. There were whispers floating around them, so many unknown voices could be heard in the hall. Scott took a few steps forward and stop not far away from the woman, he was joined by Jubilee. The woman stared at Scott, but without any warning some flame appeared in the palm of her hand while she raised her hand towards him. She looked frightened and confused, it was strange seeing her this way. Scott raised his hands in surrender at her, the flames around her hand soon faded away. Her breathing was heavy while she glanced at the people around her, but Scott's voice soon broke the silence.

" Jean, is that you?" Scott asked.