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" Why bother?" Lance sighed. He crossed his arms as Pietro dug through the boxes of Christmas decorations. Fred looked around trying to "design" how things would go. " You lack the spirit, Lance," Pietro smiled, holding up a reindeer ornament. " We won't get gifts, we don't have money to get gifts for other people. Why bother?" " Because it makes us feel good," Fred smiled. " Might boost the morale," Pietro shrugged. " Christmas has that uniting feeling to it. Don't you think, Toad?" The whole time the conversation was going, Toad sat on the couch on the other side of the den. " There are other holidays. Not just Christmas. Why celebrate this one and none of the others?" " We celebrate the others," Pietro snapped back. " We celebrate Easter and Columbus Day and Martin Luther King Day and Thanksgiving and...stuff. Any other holidays are just....Pagan, man." Toad's eyes narrowed. He sighed heavily. Fred pointed, " See, this is what we mean, Lance. Toad has no Christmas spirit either and no morale." " I do SO have morale!" Toad hissed. " And I don't know why everyone makes such a big deal about Christmas alone." Fred pouted, " You Scrooge!" " Enough." Pietro said calmly. " You gonna help us decorate, Toad?" He got up and began to dig through the box. He gritted his teeth. " Who purchased these things?" " These are the old decorations from the church," Pietro explained. " Funds allowed them to get some new better looking decorations. So I was able to talk them into letting us have these." " Crosses and angels, eh?" " What's wrong with crosses and angels?" Pietro shrugged. " Only natural for me to have. I'm Catholic." " I don't see a problem with them," Fred shrugged. " You Catholic too?" Toad sneered. Fred just shook his head, " No, I'm a Southern Baptist." " And Lance is a Mormon?" Lance stumbled backwards. " I don't think I could cut it as a Mormon." He gave a wink, " I'm an Athiest." " Party pooper," Pietro smiled. Lance knelt down next to him. " Well, Speed Demon, since you went and got them, I suppose we could put them up." Toad stood up and began to walk away. Fred noticed him and took a step closer, " What's wrong?" " Nothing," the amphibial mutant sighed. " Go back to your decorating." " Why don't you help?" " It's not my thing." " Not your thing? You really ARE a Scrooge." " Don't let me ruin y'all's fun," Toad shrugged grabbing his winter coat and walking outside. Fred gave a worried glance but let him be. *** Toad listened to the ice cracking under his feet as he traveled the sidewalk. It was quite early in the morning. How they all managed to be up just before the sun was beyond him. He glanced around and sighed. " You look blue....well...figuratively speaking." Toad turned around and saw Kurt sitting on the fence nearby...holo-watch active. " What do you want?" " I just saw ya moping about." " Don't you have more important things to do?" " No. I'm already packed." " Going back home to Germany?" Toad asked " Ja. My family has a big Christmas celebration every year." " I see." " Aren't your buddies gonna do something for Christmas?" Kurt asked, smiling and cocking his head to one side. Toad sighed again, " Yep. In fact, they're decorating now." " So, why aren't you helping them?" " It's not my thing." " Not your thing? Don't like decorating?" " I love it." " Then how is it not.....oh," Kurt gave a chuckle. " What's so funny? What's the ‘oh' for?" Toad demanded. Kurt put his hands up, " Cool it...relax. Nothing meant by it. You're one of those eh?" " Those?" " Flat-bread people." " Blue-boy!" " Alright alright. So what's wrong with that?" Toad put his hands in his pocket and leaned against the fence. He glanced back at Kurt and shrugged, " Guess it just sucks to be the minority is all." " I see. Poor lonely Jew." Toad gave an evil glare at him, " What's that supposed to mean?" " You are touchy. Do they know you're Jewish? Simply saying that Christmas decorating isn't your thing....it's not enough to get the point across." " Not exactly. I don't want to ruin their fun. They are so excited about putting up a Christmas tree and putting up the tinsel and ornaments and bows and....stuff." " Sounds like fun," Kurt smiled. " Why don't you decorate too?" Toad sighed and threw up his hands, " I just said Christmas isn't my thing!" The force made Kurt jump back, falling into the snow. He slowly got up and leaned on the fence from the opposite side. " So, Christmas isn't your thing. Put up some Hanukkah decorations. You can find them together in the holiday isle of K-Mart." Toad was about to argue. But he shook his head. " It's awkward. Everything they got was given to us by the Catholic church." " Really? How'd YOU guys get them?" Kurt pouted. " I didn't know they were giving that stuff away." " You go to church?" " Religiously." Toad couldn't help but smile. Kurt leapt over to Toad's side of the fence, " Unless you're planning on changing religions this week, I'd suggest thinking of something. It's not fair for you to be left out." *** Toad had left Kurt to continue his walk. It was cold. He disliked cold weather. He stopped suddenly, seeing a little girl no more than maybe 4 running up to him. She stopped just in front of him and smiled, handing him a candycane. " You look gloomy, Mister. Something sweet to make you happy." " Uh...thanks," he muttered, taking the candy cane and glancing at her. " Going to see Santa Claus?" " Yep." " What are you going to ask for?" The little girl blushed, " A pony." Toad smiled. " A pony? How can Santa fit a pony on his sliegh?" " Hmmm, good point. Then I want a toy pony." She then gave him a strange stare, " What will you ask Santa for?" "Me?" He gasped. " I..." " You've been a good boy all year, yes?" " Well..." " Mama says he gives presents to good boys and girls." " So I hear." " Didn't your mama ever tell you that?" Toad gave a soft smile, though feeling rather empty inside. " I...I don't have a mama." " Oh." A few minutes later a middle-aged woman approached them, " Tiffany, I thought I told you to stop running off. And what did I tell you about talking to strangers? You want to be kidnapped for Christmas? Santa would bring you presents if you disobey me." Toad frowned and lowered his head. Tiffany turned to her mom and whispered loudly, " Mama, he doesn't have parents. How come?" Her mother blushed and glanced at Toad, " I'm so sorry. Y'know kids just say the strangest things at the wrong time." " It's alright." Toad said quietly, " I'm used to it." " Mama, couldn't he ask Santa for some parents?" " Tiffany, that's enough." Her mother scolded. " I'll ask him for you, Mister," Tiffany smiled. " I'll ask him to bring you a mama." " Uhm...Tiffany..." Toad stammered. Tiffany's mother sighed, " I'm so sorry." " It's...fine. Maybe you should take her to see Santa now before she decides she wants a pony again." Both let out a chuckle. " Thank you for keeping her company." " No trouble," He smiled. " I'm used to childish nonsense...in fact, I think I'm the king of it." Both let out a laugh again. He stayed still as the two walked off. He could feel himself turning red and getting warm though his cheeks were very cold. *** " I think this would look better over there," Pietro thought out loud. Lance and Fred glanced at the decoration. " Maybe we should put another cross up there." Lance suggested. " Or a snowflake," From Fred. " Maybe we should just stop and start putting up the tree." Pietro replied. Both seemed rather happy with the suggestion and began to pull the tree pieces from the box. However, every time they tried to set up the tree stand, it would slide away. " Lance, would you quit!" Pietro scolded. " I'm not doing anything!" Lance retorted. " Uhm...does anyone have a strange feeling that something unexpected is going to happen?" Fred muttered. " You've been watching too many of those Christmas shows." Lance chuckled. " No, wait," From Pietro, who stood up and looked around. " I know the feeling." After a few moments of silence, a shadowy figure seemed to appear from out of nowhere, holding a box. " Dad!" " Magneto?!" From Lance " The man in the big red suit!" From Fred. " Some greeting." Magneto said calmly, placing the box on a nearby table. " You actually got presents this year?" Pietro asked hopefully, zipping over to inspect the contents of the box...or...content. " What is THAT?" " You know what this is," Magneto spat back, " Don't play stupid." " Well, what are you doing with it? It clashes with the other decorations." " Hey!" Fred cheered, " It's a manure!" " MANORAH!" Magneto, Pietro and Lance corrected harshly. " Pietro, I thought you said you were Catholic," Lance accused. " He is," Magneto replied, placing the manorah on the mantel. " Foster family," Pietro replied. " Maximoffs were Catholic." " Oh, right, you lived during that..." Lance silenced when Magneto glanced at him. " This manorah has been handed down for several Lensher generations," Magneto narrated to none of them in particular. " I had hoped to pass it down to you, Pietro....and hoped you'd use it. But, it seems that won't happen. However, it still looks very nice on the mantel. Suppose it's retiring after Hanukkah is over this year." Pietro gave a shrug, " Yeah, I guess. You actually gonna light it?" " Not now," Magneto replied simply. " Hanukkah is still some ways away." *** Toad glanced through the windows of the shops at the mall. He prefered to be in public places during the holidays. So wide were the cultural views. He was able to forget about being drowned with just one thought. Seemed at the mall, it was all just a look. The messege was still the same " Buy buy buy." There, as usualy around this time of year, was a fat man dressed as Santa Claus in the center of everything, inviting thousands of crying and yelling little kids onto his lap for a picture and to "get the list." He frowned and thought hard about all the years passed. Nowhere...nothing...none of it ever felt like home. He wanted to smack himself about now for fussing so much about it back at the Brotherhood Boarding House. " I hate the holidays." He whispered, squatting down unhappily. " What have they ever done for me?" " It's not what they do for you," A female voice said calmly. " It's what you choose to do for others." Toad turned and saw an elderly woman, tall and slim smiling down at him. " I didn't think anyone actually heard me...or..." " Paid attention. I know. I catch myself doing it too." " Did...you want something?" Toad asked, still peering up at her. " I just happened to overhear you talking to yourself. You remind me of my son." " Just hearing one little thing from me?" " He used to talk to himself all the time. Thinking out loud technically. He gets it from his mama." There's that word again. Toad narrowed his eyes and turned away. " Must be nice." " Isn't your family going to worry about you if you stay out here all day?" " I don't have a family," He found himself pouring out. " Popycock." " Popyhen, I'm serious." " Foster home?" " Not really." " Orphanage?" He cringed. He looked up at her and narrowed his eyes angrily. " Let's just say I'm staying somewhere that isn't home...but it's all I've got." " Pity. No one at home to take care of you?" " Guess not," Toad sighed with annoyance and impatience. The woman stayed still for a long time, eying him. It made him nervous. She knelt down and patted him on the back, " Come with me to worship." " Excuse me?" He asked, eyes going wide. " I'm sure they'd love to have you there." " I....don't worship." " No?" She smiled. " Perhaps that's your problem. Everyone needs to have faith in something...to make things look better when the world gets rough." " I've had my share of a rough world," he muttered. " Then, come with me. I'll introduce you to a large group of friendly old people." " That's nice of you, Ma'am. But, I don't go to church." The woman let out a laugh. " Neither do I." He cast a confused glance at her. She smiled, " Christmas is nice. But I like giving presents away to people I love for more than just one day." Toad was silent a long time. He turned away, " You wouldn't want anything to do with me if you knew who and what I was." " Oooooh," she whispered, pretending to be surprised. " You're one of those, aren't you?" " Jewish?" He said before he realized it. He had remembered Kurt's conversation earlier that day. " No. One of those special people." She put a finger to her lips, " I won't tell if you are." " Isn't it obvious?" *** " Looks like you picked up another stray, Carolyn." Rabbi Tucker smiled, looking Toad over. " Don't pick on him," Carolyn laughed, giving Toad a push forward. " You'll make him nervous." Toad had somehow been tempted. Carolyn, the old woman, had talked him into coming with her to worship that night. He stayed as silent as possible, scanning the small group. Most were elderly men and women. It was a nice group. Toad had become rather comfortable with them. To his surprise, they had welcomed him in with open arms. He supposed old people did that to keep kids in service to the higher power. He actually enjoyed it, however. He hadn't been to worship in what felt like forever. He was so young the last time he went. Carolyn placed a hand on his shoulder and often nudged him. Either she was a crazy old lady...or just a very nice one. " Thank you for coming," She said to him when it was over. " Thanks for inviting me. You don't know how long..." " A very long time?" " Yo, are you psychic? You've cut me off a lot today." Carolyn laughed. " No. But, you remind me a lot..." " Of your son?" " Yes." " Where is he?" Carolyn lowered her head. Toad felt a lump in his throat. But, before he could apologize, she opened the gate for him. " This is my house. You look like you freeze easily. Come in and I'll warm you up." *** " Wow," Toad gasped, looking at the inside of the large house. " Nice." He was greeted by a big cat that yowled at him and tehn scampered off. " I'm glad you like it. My children used to run all over the place in this house when they were little." " How old was he?" " My son?" Toad nodded. " Simon was about your age I suppose, when he passed away." " How?" " He....he suffocated." " I'm..." " Don't be." Carolyn patted him on the head and led him to the den. She insisted he sit on the couch by the fire and placed hot cocoa and a plate of home-made cookies by him. Despite his polite rejection, she shoved it near him anyway. " So, you live here alone?" He asked. " Well, I do now. My husband passed away about 10 years ago." She sighed, " Bless your soul, George." " I suppose you don't have a family either then?" He slapped his hands over his mouth. " I'm sorry! I..I didn't..." " It's alright. I have a daughter. But, I rarely see her. She lives overseas." She handed him a photo album. " This is her scrapbook I've kept since she was a baby. Pictures of her and Simon, of herself and her activities. She was a lovely little girl. You actually look a lot like her." " Eh?" Toad arched a brow. " If she was a lovely little girl, then I look nothing like her." " I dunno about that. There are some small things that seem to just remind me of her. I suppose it's why I'm so insistant on you keeping me company. She hardly ever gets to come over here with her husband always busy. And, I've not seen Simon in so long." " Glad I could make you feel better," He said plainly, feeling it flow naturally off the tip of his tongue. He peeked throught the first few pages of pictures. Very active little girl. Dance classes and soccer and all kinda of things. Carolyn still had some awards on the wall from her. She noticed him looking and sighed, " I miss Kathrine." She eyed Toad and smiled again. " So, Todd, Tolansky, was it? Tell me, where are you staying? You don't look horribly neglected, so someone must be taking care of you, in the slightest." " Me," he said plainly. " I live with some....classmates." " So, you're attending school. That's nice." " I guess. Not very popular." " Simon was like that too. He was always being picked on." " My friends don't treat me that spectacular either. I suppose I'm just sort of...there." " Are they...special too?" " Well..." He thought a moment and smiled, " yes. I suppose I'm just wanting to belong....hang out with other people like me." Carolyn nodded. She kept her eyes on him. Again, it made him nervous. " Perhaps I should go home." " Will they worry about you?" " I doubt it. Just, I don't want to overstay my welcome." He got up and began to walk to the door. She shot up and grabbed his arm, startling him. " Nonsense. You're no bother at all. You're the only company I've had here for the longest time. Please, I insist....stay a while. Let me clean you up and give you some nice clothes and a full hot meal. Celebrate the holidays with me. I'm such a lonely old lady." Toad peered at his wrist where she kept her grip firm. He slowly looked at her face. " You...want...me to stay?" " Yes, very much." Toad slowly formed a genuine smile, " Then...I'll stay." *** Pietro sat on the coffee table, eyeing the manorah. " Well," he cocked his head to the side, " I guess it kinda looks alright with everything else." " You STILL going on about that?" Lance chuckled. " It's been a couple weeks now." " I like it," Fred remarked, eying it closley and scratching his chin. " Speaking of a couple of weeks," Lance suddenly thought, " Has Toad been home at all? I haven't seen him in a long time. Surely he can't still be that mad at us." " I don't think he was really MAD at us," Fred chimed in. " But, I haven't seen him. His room is still the same as how he left it." " Think we should go look for him?" " Man, I hope nothing happened to him. I kinda liked him," Fred groaned. " He's done this lots of times before," Magneto chimed in, raising a stick to the first candle of the manorah. " Don't forget, he lived on the streets for a few years. And he knows this city like the back of his hand." " Is that a no?" Pietro asked. Everyone got quiet when they heard the front door open. " TOAD!!" Everyone, minus Magneto, called out. He smiled and waved back. " Where have you BEEN?" Lance shot out. " Didn't even call," Fred said quietly. " You trying to see if we'd worry?" Pietro decided to chime in. " I...I just wasn't ready to come home. Sorry." " So..." " Actually, I'm not staying very long. I wanted to kinda drop in to let y'all know I was still alive." " Oh darn," Lance joked. " Dropped in?" Magneto arched a brow, " You have plans?" " Sort of....hey, nice manorah...who's Jewish?" Everyone glanced at Magneto, who said nothing. Toad felt himself turning pink. " If I had known that, I wouldn't have been so tiffy." " I didn't know you were Jewish," Pietro shrugged. " You never asked." Toad skipped onto the steps, " Anyway, I'm here to pick up some personal things. I'm staying somewhere for the holidays." " Drop us a postcard," Lance said flatly. Toad narrowed his eyes at him. Same old Brotherhood. *** Carolyn hung up the phone and smiled when she saw Toad come in. " Todd, you hungry?" " A little, but...not starving." She smiled, " You look so good in Simon's clothes." He blushed, " Y'know, I'm not all too comfortable wearing your dead son's old clothes, Grammy." It was not disrespect. Carolyn had insisted Toad call her Grammy. She had laughed out " If I was younger, I'd have you call my Mammy." Toad couldn't argue with her. So instead of the formal Ms. Carolyn, he called her Grammy. She claimed all the kids in the youth group called her that. Carolyn got up and handed Toad a small plain-wrapped box. " I always give small presents first....then I save the best one for last." " You....this is for me?" " Yes, silly. It has your name on it, doesn't it?" Toad blushed and pulled the ribbon....and paused. " Open your Hanukkah present, Todd, don't keep me in suspense." He laughed and opened the gift. How predictable: A dreidel. It was very simple yet still at the same, very pretty. " Wow, thanks." " I know it's not much..." " Don't be silly, Yo, " Toad found himself saying. Seems his attitude had been modified since he started staying with "Grammy" and all. " It may be simple but it's more than I've gotten in years. The last time I ever got a dreidel, I was..." " Very young?" " Yeah." He smiled at her and squatted down, setting the dreidel just so. " Can I even remember how to get it right. I once made it spin...gosh, it felt like forever. Took a lot of practice to get it just right." Carolyn smiled as Toad gave the dreidel a good spin. He muttered a song to himself: " Dreidel, spin, spin, spin. Hanukkah is a good holiday. Hanukkah is a good holiday. Dreidel, spin, spin, spin. It's a happy holiday for the people. A great miracle happened there. A great miracle happened there. It's a happy holiday for the people." " I haven't heard that diddy in ages," Carolyn sighed as she took her seat. Toad glanced up and her and smiled. " Then, I bet I've got one that you haven't heard even longer." " Oh, do sing it!" She encouraged. " Sevivon, sov, sov, sov. Chanuka, hu chag tov Chanuka, hu chag tov Sevivon, sov, sov sov..." " Oh, you silly goose," Carolyn laughed, " It's the same song." " Hey, humor me," He said playfully. " Do you know the last time I got to speak Hebrew?" " A long time?" " Very." She laughed again and waved her hand, " Oh, well then, let me spoil you rotten. Do continue." Toad laughed. A real laugh. He'd been quite genuine here. He felt warm. It felt like...well....a holiday at Grandma's...he guessed. He didn't know what one felt like. But, he assumed it would feel like this. " Chag simchah hu la-am. Nes gadol hayah sham Nes gadol hayah sham Chag simchah hu la-am." *** Second Night... " Personal items?" Pietro asked, flipping the channels with the remote. He heard Toad come in. Everyone else had turned in early. " Well, sort of." " Happy Hanukkah...er...well.." "Yeah, I know. Merry Christmas." " Get anything?" Toad stopped and peered in the den, finally deciding to step in. He smiled. Pietro had noticed his clean and very well-kept dimeanor. " Yes." Toad pulled out a wallet. Pietro snatched it swiftly and opened it. Aw, man. It was empty. " Nice piece. Not a cheap dollar store brand. Good material." " Has my name on it." Toad laughed. Pietro arched a brow and glanced at the wallet again...yes, it did certainly have Todd Tolansky embroidered on it. " You find a Sugar Mommy?" " Not exactly." He turned, " I don't want to keep her waiting. She gets worried easily." Pietro sat silently as he watched Toad leap up the stairs to retrieve...whatever he came for. *** Third Night... Toad turned and examined himself in the mirror. " Does it fit alright?" Carolyn asked. " Yeah, it's just....I'm not used to actually being able to wear a tux." " Don't you wear them to school dances and stuff?" " Once. Not this color though. Blue." " Pfft, blue's not your color." Carolyn grabbed his face and squeezed his cheeks. " Black....Green...even Brown. Not blue. Neutrals make you blend." Toad rolled his eyes but smiled at her. She snapped her fingers. " Oh, I know just the thing to top this off." She ran into the other room and came out with a jewelery box. " I picked these out just for you. Happy holiday." Toad glanced at the small black box but finally took it and opened it. " You bought me cuff links?" " Don't you like them?" She asked, a little worried. " Look, they even have your initials." Toad was silent, " Yeah, I like them. But, look at them." " Only 18 karat, Todd." " ONLY?" He about fell backwards. " Grammy, you've only known me a very short amount of time. Why are you dishing out so much money for me? I may never get to use these cuff links again." " Oh, money schmuney," Carolyn sighed. " What's the use of being rich if you can't have fun with your wealth? Worse comes to worse, I just gave you some pawnable stuff to keep you fed for a long time." She poked his tummy, " I like a cute chubby boy." Toad glanced at his middle. He actually had only gained 4 pounds. And it wasn't showing at all. He was good at keeping his metabolism going and maintaining a fair weight to suit his powers. " I wouldn't pawn them. Consider me the..." " Sentimental type?" " Yes. I gave away all my old junk....kept only two toys....couple of plushies." " Sentimental value?" " My mom gave them to me when I was three." Carolyn nodded and removed the cuff links from the box, placing them on Toad's cuffs. " I want you to look your best tonight. And I want you to parade around this party. You just show your adorable self off." Toad blushed a deep red, " Grammy..." *** Night Four... " What is it?" Lance asked, poking at the box. " Is it a cake?" Fred asked. " Toad isn't that stupid. He'd put a cake in the fridge." Pietro retorted. " It's the Torah." They all turned to see Toad peeking in with a smile. " Torah, like...Jewish Bible?" Fred asked. Toad nodded, " Something like that." " She give it to you?" Pietro picked up the box. " Yep." " You sure she's not your Sugar Mommy?" Toad gave Pietro a push but laughed. " I'm not into older women. She's just a very nice old lady that wanted come company for the holidays." " Sorry to bust your bubble, Toad, but she's giving you some pretty nifty things," Lance pointed out. " You sure she's not trying to get a young man?" Toad sighed, " So, she's rich...so what? If I had tons of money to burn, I'd probably have fun like that too." He turned, making sure to grab his gift before he left. *** Night Five... " Tell me you bought this!" Toad squeaked, holding up a long knit sweater. It was dark red with goldenrod rings about the collar and bottom of the sleeves as well as the bottom hem. On it was knitted a cute little frog. Very simple by looks but very complicated by design. " No, I knitted that last year." Carolyn admitted. She sighed, " I wanted to buy you something special but couldn't find that perfect something. I knitted that sweater last year. I'm not sure why. Perhaps I was just lonely and bored...and it made me think of Simon." " Grammy..." " No no no...you take it. I don't want it to sit around and not be appriciated. I put a lot of love into that sweater....please take it." Toad glanced at the sweater again. It would surely hang like a short nightgown....halfway down his thighs. The sleeves might be too long too, but the look wasn't too bad. He smiled, " Thank you." He set it aside and stretched. The cat leapt onto his lap and purred, rubbing against him. He gave her a pat on the head...and heard a gag. " How many times have I told you not to spit hairballs on laps!" Carolyn scolded. " Happy Hanukkah, Fluff-fluff." Toad sighed with defeat. *** Night Six... " So, here we are....and you're just moments away from getting on that plane." Toad smiled, hands in his pockets. Kurt smiled back and nodded. " I'm surprised you came to see me off." " Me too," Evan snorted. " Got some motive, Slime-Ball?" Rogue chimed in. Toad looked rather hurt. " Can't you just accept my good wishes without being nasty?" He spat back. " He's right," Scott jumped in. " He's been civil all day. Let's just keep the drama low." " So," Kurt began, " did you tell them?" " Sort of." " Sort of?" " Well, I went home and....ah...I told them when I got home." " And you're still in one piece," Kurt smiled. " Told ya." " I've been staying somewhere else." " Hey, now the soap opera begins," Evan chuckled, leaning in. Rogue grabbed him and yanked him back, " Ah don't recall them invitin' us in their conversation, Porcipine." Scott made a slashing motion across his throat at them. " Speaking of throats," Kurt said out of nowhere, " She give you that?" Toad held up the silver chain necklace and charm, " Yeah. She's gotten me a lot." " I think she likes you, ja?" " Maybe." " What else did she get you?" " Well....a dreidel, a wallet with my name on it, cuff links, a Torah and a sweater....and this Star of David necklance." " Real silver?" " She says it is." " Turning yourself around, Tolansky?" Scott asked. Toad turned to him and shrugged. " I like her." " Think she'll adopt you?" Evan joked. Rogue pinched one of Toad's cheeks. " Ah think she likes you, Skippy." " I wouldn't mind staying there. Beats the life I've got now....always wondering if there'll be dinner on the table....always wondering if the heat will be working....always being treated like dirt. Why go back to that when I could have someone who actually cares for me." " I say enjoy it while it lasts," Kurt smiled. He heard his flight being called. " Well, there's no place like home." *** Night Seven... " Todd, do you miss your friends?" Carolyn asked. " Well, depends how you look at it," he answered honestly. " I mean, they're my team. They were all I had for a while. The only people to talk to me and interact with me without beating me up all the time." " Do you want to go back?" That was pretty straightforward. He didn't want to seem to eager to answer. " Well....I dunno. I've lived without them before, I could do it again. But, I wouldn't want to drop them from my life completely. But, to be honest, I don't think I'll ever get anywhere in life if I stay with them." " You don't have to go back, y'know." Carolyn smiled. Toad nodded. " I had a feeling you'd say that." " So...." " I'll stay if you want me to. Honestly, you're the only family I have that feels like family....well..." " I understand," she replied. " Must be very lonely to grow up without someone to show you they love you." " I just wish I knew why...." he paused, " to hear it from them...I think I know why....but..." " Don't be unhappy, Todd. Smile, you'll have a family from now on that loves you." He smiled and looked up at the manorah. " Seven days already. Where has the time gone?" " What would you like tonight?" Toad sat back and thought for a long time. It was still early yet. In fact, it was only about 1:30pm. " Grammy, since...I'm not going back....I'd...like to ask you a favor." " Sure thing." " You said you'd give the best present last...." " Oh, but that's tomorrow, Todd. I can't give it to you now...even if I wanted to." " Yes, but....I DO want to do something for them." " Oh?" " We don't exactly have much to live off of there. It's a rundown building, but it's standing and it's liveable. It makes do. I know that our beliefs clash...religion-wise...but..." " You want to get your friends Christmas gifts so they won't be left with nothing this year?" " How DO you do that?" He smiled. She nodded. " We can do that. But, they can't open them until Christmas." Toad laughed, " You're talking about a house of three teenage boys unsupervised....it'll never happen." *** Day Eight... " It's like we never get to see you anymore," Fred whined. " Miss me?" Toad asked in almost a content whisper. " Well, sort of." " We can manage. Just not the same Brotherhood House without a toad hopping around." Lance shrugged " You were the easiest to pick on," Pietro chimed in. " I see." Toad replied. " You'll manage." " Hey, you're acting funny," Lance eyed him curiously, " What's up with you?" " I'm....not coming back." " WHAT?" They all replied at once. " I'm...I'm not going to be in the Brotherhood anymore. And, I'm not going to stay here anymore either. I'm...." " You're leaving us for her?" Pietro accused. " She's taking me somewhere...I'm not sure where. But, c'mon, she lives on the other side of town...not too far away. Not like I can't visit you guys." " So, you came back to tell us...you're leaving?" Fred repeated, having a hard time believing it. " I just can't be anybody if I stay here. I'll always be Walk-All-Over-Me Toady Tolansky. I have a chance to better myself...to become a better person and a better mutant. I could even learn to outdo all of you." " THAT," Pietro chuckled, " would be an accomplishment." " So, that's it? You can just leave like that?" Lance pouted. Toad smiled, " No. I had to leave something." He began to deliver the presents one by one to the mat under the tree. It took quite some time to put them all down. " I told you...if I had that kind of money to burn I'd do things like this," Toad smiled, standing upright again. The boys looked dumbfounded. " Toad, I...dunno what to say..." Lance squeaked. " Whoa," was all that escaped Pietro. " I know what to say!" Fred said loudly with a laugh, " Thanks!" " Y'know," Pietro sighed, " We're gonna miss ya." " I know. I'll miss you guys too. This Brotherhood thing was fun for a while....but, I want to grow up...the right way. This chance was stolen from me once. I don't want to pass it up again." " Good luck," Lance smiled. *** Toad opened the door to Carolyn's home. " Grammy? Sorry I'm late. I just wanted to say some last things to the guys and...Grammy?" Toad shut the door behind him and hung up his winter-wear. He stepped into the den and saw Grammy standing by the fireplace with a big smile. A tall, slim young woman stood with her back to him. She had long light brown hair, and a dark dress...two piece. She held something in her hand. " Grammy, who..." The woman turned, her face was wet...she had been crying. Toad choked on his words and looked hard....his stare going across the room and locking on the woman's face. " Todd?" She cracked out, holding back a sob. He was silent, unable to make audible sounds from his open mouth. The woman turned around fully, looking at a picture...the object she was holding and then looking at Toad. She gave a weak smile. Toad trembled and swallowed hard, forcing the lump in his throat to drop to his chest. He breathed hard and fast and without being able to think, he let out a cry and leapt forward, " MAMA!" With a single bound, he was there, unable to stop fully, grabbing her and holding her with uncontrolled sobs, dropping to his knees and hugging her waist. She too sobbed and slowly knelt down to embrace him. " I told you that you had family that loved you," Carolyn smiled proudly. She eyed her cat. It meowed and walked off, unamused by the event. She then turned her gaze back to her daughter and grandson. " Kathrine, I told you I'd keep an eye out for him." " Oh, my baby's all grown up," Kathrine sobbed. " I thought I'd never see you again." She let go and looked into his face, " You hadn't even turned 4 the last time I saw you." Toad said nothing but sniffed back his tears. But, after a long moment of nothing, he finally choked out, " Why, Mama? Why'd you leave me?" " I didn't want to, Baby." She hugged him again. " I didn't want to." " Then WHY?! You just LEFT me!" " It's all in the past, Todd," Carolyn said gently. " You'll have the rest of your life to sort things out. But, be thankful. Your mother came back for you and wants to prove she's sorry." " I've been so afraid that you were dead," Kathrine whispered. " But, I wouldn't believe it. I knew we'd find you if I kept praying." " Then," Toad sniffed, " it...wasn't on purpose?" " Of course not." " You never hated me because I was a mutant? Because I was...ugly?" Kathrine gasped with shock, " I would never...the mutant gene runs in your father's family. I knew there would be a chance." " Wha....wha...what?" Toad shook his head. " My nephew....your cousin....he's one too. Oh, you don't even remember Leopold, do you?" " There's a lot I can't remember about those days, Mama." Kathrine smiled, " Then, we'll just have to refresh your memory. You were always my cute little chubby-cheeks." She stood up and helped him up. " C'mon, son. We're going home." " Home?" Toad almost wasn't able to say the word. He'd longed for so long to hear them...and have them mean something. " Where....is home?" " With me," she replied. " We're going home to England....where we belong." Toad glanced at Carolyn, " Grammy, you knew the whole time." " Yes. I knew it was you for a very long time. But, trying to catch you was a very hard thing to do. I called your mother up and told her to come and pick up a special gift from me." " Me?" Toad smiled, wiping a tear away. " And ...your gift to me...it was her, wasn't it? You wanted to give me my mother....and send me home." " I'm Grammy," Carolyn giggled. " I gotta look out for what's best for my grandson." " Thank you." " Thank you, Mama," Kathrine smiled. Carolyn nodded, " Happy Hanukkah, Sweeties." END
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