beckymonster (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
beckymonster) wrote2013-01-24 09:44 pm
beckymonster) wrote2013-01-24 09:44 pm
FIC - Baby, Please Come Home (X-Men movieverse, Arthur Christmas, PG)
Continuing with the yearly repost of everything I wrote for the seasonal fic exchanges. This time, it's the stories I wrote for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
yuletide. For the first time, I not only wrote my assignment (which I'll post in the next day or two) but not one, but TWO treats. Which still surprises even me. Both can be considered as being 'crack', which might actually explain a thing or two;)
Title - Baby Please Come Home
Fandom(s) - Arthur Christmas (2011) and X-Men Movieverse (2000-)
A Gift For -![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
littledust as part of the 2012 yuletide challenge
Disclaimer - This is a work of fanfiction. No profit is being made from this story. All rights belong to their respective holders.
'Baby, Please Come Home' can also be read at AO3
Westchester, New York State
Duration of Operation: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town: 17 hours and counting
Arthur still felt that shiver of worry as he hooked his boot into the zipline. Seventeen hours into the mission and so far, so good. Still no good reason to stop worrying.
“You all right, sir?” the elf next to him asked. He mentally scrabbled around for the elf’s name, but came up blank.
“Yes, I’m fine-”
“Leigh, sir,” the elf helpfully replied, a heartbeat before she made the heart-in-mouth leap out of Evie II along with all the other elves prepped for this stop.
As he made the jump himself a moment or two later, Arthur’s earpiece crackled into life. “Arthur? It’s your father,” he heard as his booted foot crunched into snow-blanketed, blessed terra firma once again.
For a beat, Arthur’s heart stopped. “Is everything okay, Dad? Is Mum okay? Steve seemed-”
“I just wanted to tell you something about this particular house, Arthur.” In the background, he could hear Granddad grumbling about how Arthur should stop fannying about and get on with the job.
“What is it, Dad?” he asked as he surveyed the house... or, rather, mansion. The place was huge. The first wave of elves had to be already inside; he could hear the soft susurrus of comms reporting in on deliveries made.
“The children here are good children, all of them,” Malcolm Christmas explained. “The Headmaster of this school is a very special gentleman. Each year the students all ask for me to bring him his heart’s desire, something to make him happy.” He sighed, a wry sound down Arthur’s earpiece. “If I knew what it was, I would try - but I think this one is out of our hands.” The wistfulness in his father’s voice made Arthur’s heart ache.
From his time reading children’s letters, he knew that there were some gifts that Santa couldn’t deliver, as much as he would have wanted to. Peace to war torn regions, a new job for an unemployed parent, the safe return of parents serving overseas... the simple want and hope had torn at Arthur as he’d read the letters.
“I’m sure you tried, Dad,” Arthur whispered loyally as he made his way into the mansion.
“Sir!” a voice called, frantically, out over the comms. “We still have wakers!”
“Leigh, I think it will be okay,” Arthur murmured as he walked through the quiet, wood panelled corridors. Occasionally, he could hear the whisper of elven voices and the swish of a breeze brushing past him.
There was a woman’s voice, singing soft and sweetly, and Arthur walked towards the sound. “Making a list, checking it twice-”
The singing stopped mid-word and a strange hush descended over the house. Arthur yelped as he nearly walked into a man who certainly had not been there a moment ago.
Tall, trim, silver white hair, with a frown marring handsome features. He couldn’t be blamed for that, Arthur mused as he shuffled awkwardly around him. He’d be annoyed too if he’d been frozen in mid-stride... which made Arthur wonder what was going on and whether he should worry - or at least, worry more than normal.
I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to make you jump like that, a warm, honey rich baritone rang out straight into Arthur’s head, having bypassed his ears completely. It was a very neat trick that Arthur had, before, only read about in the Science Fiction books he loved so much.
Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Charles Xavier, the voice continued, its path the same as before.
Slowly Arthur turned around, rationalising (quite calmly, which surprised him greatly) that someone who had introduced themselves so politely was not likely to harm Santa Claus, now were they?
Behind him was a gentleman with an authoritative mien who reminded Arthur of a Star Trek captain, dressed warmly and smartly in a dark tartan dressing gown and pyjamas.
“Mr Xavier?” Arthur began, taking a step towards the gentleman, his hand proffered to shake. His Mum would be so upset if he forgot his manners. Not to mention, Dad had said he was a good man and if Dad said that, regardless of the timetable Arthur would at least shake his hand.
A warm smile creased the older gentleman’s features as he rolled his chair forward to take Arthur’s hand in welcome. “It’s Professor, actually, but I don’t think you’re really the sort to worry about titles, are you?”
Arthur shook his head. “I’m still trying to get used to the title of Santa,” he blurted. In his ear he could hear the continued hark and call of elves going about business; it was a balm.
“You must be Arthur, then,” Xavier noted as he rolled back a little, turning slightly towards the room beside them. “I’ve met your father many times over the years; he’s spoken about both you and your brother-”
“What did you tell him, Dad?” Steve’s voice sounded over Arthur’s earpiece. He didn’t sound angry, just curious. Arthur tried to listen in on the conversation, but there were other matters in need of his attention right then.
“Will he be okay?” Arthur asked, gesturing to the white haired gentleman who he’d nearly bumped into.
Xavier smiled, a bittersweet thing that didn’t quite reach his eyes. There were many who’d still call Arthur an idiot, but he wasn’t stupid. There was a tale here, one that his Dad apparently knew; Arthur made a note to ask when the mission was over.
“Pietro will be fine, as will Wanda - that’s the name of the lady you heard singing. It’s a... trick of mine,” he explained, “Your father found it useful, as it helped with the deliveries.”
“Oh,” Arthur commented. And sure enough, as he listened over the comms, he heard elven voices reporting in on successful deliveries.
Then something peculiar happened. The first hint was the blare of alarms sounding from Evie II, only for them to fall silent in the next moment. The comms dissolved into static next, only to be immediately restored.
Arthur was about to ask if Xavier knew anything about it when he saw that the other man was staring past him towards the large bay windows that dominated the room that Xavier had been turning towards.
He turned in time to see the windows swing open, with no assistance, as...
Well, if Arthur hadn’t seen it with his own two eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it. Two people came through the window; one walking, another floating.
The one who had walked in caught Arthur’s attention first. She was beautiful and blue, which had nothing to with the cold, Arthur guessed, seeing as she didn’t act as if she felt the temperature change. Odd, since, although he was too much of a gentleman to mention it (unlike Grand Santa, who he could hear quite clearly down the line), she was naked. Then again, so was being able to speak in someone’s head without ‘speaking’ or ‘hearing’.
As for the other person, a very smartly dressed gentleman with a killer cloak draped artfully over one arm, well... Arthur didn’t have a clue who he was - apart from the fact that he instantly thought of wizards for some strange reason. But, from the astonished look on the Professor’s face, he knew exactly who these people were.
“May we come in, Charles?” the woman asked hesitantly.
“Yes, yes, of course, Raven, Erik!” Xavier exclaimed, rolling past Arthur towards his new guests. Arthur stepped to one side quickly. “Will you be staying long?”
Raven and the other newcomer exchanged a look that was a conversation in itself.
“As long as you will have us, Charles,” the gentleman replied, stepping forward to meet Xavier’s chair and kneeling in front of it to take the Professor’s hand in his.
“We meant to be here for Hanukkah, but we got a bit...” Raven began.
“Sidetracked,” the kneeling man continued, his eyes not leaving Xavier’s face. “But we are here now - and here to stay, if you’ll let us.”
“You know the answer to that question, Erik, Raven,” Charles murmured, his voice breaking on the words.
Arthur sensed that he was seeing something wonderful unfold in front of him. With a very light tread, he stepped around the three of them as Raven joined Erik in hugging Charles so hard, Arthur’s ribs twinged in sympathy for the seated man. He closed the bay window and quickly, quietly ran across the grass to where his zipline dangled down.
As he tugged on the line, the signal to be hoisted back up, Arthur could hear that lovely voice begin singing again before breaking off with a gasp of joyful surprise.
When the morning broke, all around the world, there would be children waking to find that he and his elves had left them something wonderful. While Arthur couldn’t bring everyone what they wanted, it was enough to know that, sometimes, others could do that instead of him.
Fin
yuletide. For the first time, I not only wrote my assignment (which I'll post in the next day or two) but not one, but TWO treats. Which still surprises even me. Both can be considered as being 'crack', which might actually explain a thing or two;) Title - Baby Please Come Home
Fandom(s) - Arthur Christmas (2011) and X-Men Movieverse (2000-)
A Gift For -
littledust as part of the 2012 yuletide challengeDisclaimer - This is a work of fanfiction. No profit is being made from this story. All rights belong to their respective holders.
'Baby, Please Come Home' can also be read at AO3
Westchester, New York State
Duration of Operation: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town: 17 hours and counting
Arthur still felt that shiver of worry as he hooked his boot into the zipline. Seventeen hours into the mission and so far, so good. Still no good reason to stop worrying.
“You all right, sir?” the elf next to him asked. He mentally scrabbled around for the elf’s name, but came up blank.
“Yes, I’m fine-”
“Leigh, sir,” the elf helpfully replied, a heartbeat before she made the heart-in-mouth leap out of Evie II along with all the other elves prepped for this stop.
As he made the jump himself a moment or two later, Arthur’s earpiece crackled into life. “Arthur? It’s your father,” he heard as his booted foot crunched into snow-blanketed, blessed terra firma once again.
For a beat, Arthur’s heart stopped. “Is everything okay, Dad? Is Mum okay? Steve seemed-”
“I just wanted to tell you something about this particular house, Arthur.” In the background, he could hear Granddad grumbling about how Arthur should stop fannying about and get on with the job.
“What is it, Dad?” he asked as he surveyed the house... or, rather, mansion. The place was huge. The first wave of elves had to be already inside; he could hear the soft susurrus of comms reporting in on deliveries made.
“The children here are good children, all of them,” Malcolm Christmas explained. “The Headmaster of this school is a very special gentleman. Each year the students all ask for me to bring him his heart’s desire, something to make him happy.” He sighed, a wry sound down Arthur’s earpiece. “If I knew what it was, I would try - but I think this one is out of our hands.” The wistfulness in his father’s voice made Arthur’s heart ache.
From his time reading children’s letters, he knew that there were some gifts that Santa couldn’t deliver, as much as he would have wanted to. Peace to war torn regions, a new job for an unemployed parent, the safe return of parents serving overseas... the simple want and hope had torn at Arthur as he’d read the letters.
“I’m sure you tried, Dad,” Arthur whispered loyally as he made his way into the mansion.
“Sir!” a voice called, frantically, out over the comms. “We still have wakers!”
“Leigh, I think it will be okay,” Arthur murmured as he walked through the quiet, wood panelled corridors. Occasionally, he could hear the whisper of elven voices and the swish of a breeze brushing past him.
There was a woman’s voice, singing soft and sweetly, and Arthur walked towards the sound. “Making a list, checking it twice-”
The singing stopped mid-word and a strange hush descended over the house. Arthur yelped as he nearly walked into a man who certainly had not been there a moment ago.
Tall, trim, silver white hair, with a frown marring handsome features. He couldn’t be blamed for that, Arthur mused as he shuffled awkwardly around him. He’d be annoyed too if he’d been frozen in mid-stride... which made Arthur wonder what was going on and whether he should worry - or at least, worry more than normal.
I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to make you jump like that, a warm, honey rich baritone rang out straight into Arthur’s head, having bypassed his ears completely. It was a very neat trick that Arthur had, before, only read about in the Science Fiction books he loved so much.
Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Charles Xavier, the voice continued, its path the same as before.
Slowly Arthur turned around, rationalising (quite calmly, which surprised him greatly) that someone who had introduced themselves so politely was not likely to harm Santa Claus, now were they?
Behind him was a gentleman with an authoritative mien who reminded Arthur of a Star Trek captain, dressed warmly and smartly in a dark tartan dressing gown and pyjamas.
“Mr Xavier?” Arthur began, taking a step towards the gentleman, his hand proffered to shake. His Mum would be so upset if he forgot his manners. Not to mention, Dad had said he was a good man and if Dad said that, regardless of the timetable Arthur would at least shake his hand.
A warm smile creased the older gentleman’s features as he rolled his chair forward to take Arthur’s hand in welcome. “It’s Professor, actually, but I don’t think you’re really the sort to worry about titles, are you?”
Arthur shook his head. “I’m still trying to get used to the title of Santa,” he blurted. In his ear he could hear the continued hark and call of elves going about business; it was a balm.
“You must be Arthur, then,” Xavier noted as he rolled back a little, turning slightly towards the room beside them. “I’ve met your father many times over the years; he’s spoken about both you and your brother-”
“What did you tell him, Dad?” Steve’s voice sounded over Arthur’s earpiece. He didn’t sound angry, just curious. Arthur tried to listen in on the conversation, but there were other matters in need of his attention right then.
“Will he be okay?” Arthur asked, gesturing to the white haired gentleman who he’d nearly bumped into.
Xavier smiled, a bittersweet thing that didn’t quite reach his eyes. There were many who’d still call Arthur an idiot, but he wasn’t stupid. There was a tale here, one that his Dad apparently knew; Arthur made a note to ask when the mission was over.
“Pietro will be fine, as will Wanda - that’s the name of the lady you heard singing. It’s a... trick of mine,” he explained, “Your father found it useful, as it helped with the deliveries.”
“Oh,” Arthur commented. And sure enough, as he listened over the comms, he heard elven voices reporting in on successful deliveries.
Then something peculiar happened. The first hint was the blare of alarms sounding from Evie II, only for them to fall silent in the next moment. The comms dissolved into static next, only to be immediately restored.
Arthur was about to ask if Xavier knew anything about it when he saw that the other man was staring past him towards the large bay windows that dominated the room that Xavier had been turning towards.
He turned in time to see the windows swing open, with no assistance, as...
Well, if Arthur hadn’t seen it with his own two eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it. Two people came through the window; one walking, another floating.
The one who had walked in caught Arthur’s attention first. She was beautiful and blue, which had nothing to with the cold, Arthur guessed, seeing as she didn’t act as if she felt the temperature change. Odd, since, although he was too much of a gentleman to mention it (unlike Grand Santa, who he could hear quite clearly down the line), she was naked. Then again, so was being able to speak in someone’s head without ‘speaking’ or ‘hearing’.
As for the other person, a very smartly dressed gentleman with a killer cloak draped artfully over one arm, well... Arthur didn’t have a clue who he was - apart from the fact that he instantly thought of wizards for some strange reason. But, from the astonished look on the Professor’s face, he knew exactly who these people were.
“May we come in, Charles?” the woman asked hesitantly.
“Yes, yes, of course, Raven, Erik!” Xavier exclaimed, rolling past Arthur towards his new guests. Arthur stepped to one side quickly. “Will you be staying long?”
Raven and the other newcomer exchanged a look that was a conversation in itself.
“As long as you will have us, Charles,” the gentleman replied, stepping forward to meet Xavier’s chair and kneeling in front of it to take the Professor’s hand in his.
“We meant to be here for Hanukkah, but we got a bit...” Raven began.
“Sidetracked,” the kneeling man continued, his eyes not leaving Xavier’s face. “But we are here now - and here to stay, if you’ll let us.”
“You know the answer to that question, Erik, Raven,” Charles murmured, his voice breaking on the words.
Arthur sensed that he was seeing something wonderful unfold in front of him. With a very light tread, he stepped around the three of them as Raven joined Erik in hugging Charles so hard, Arthur’s ribs twinged in sympathy for the seated man. He closed the bay window and quickly, quietly ran across the grass to where his zipline dangled down.
As he tugged on the line, the signal to be hoisted back up, Arthur could hear that lovely voice begin singing again before breaking off with a gasp of joyful surprise.
When the morning broke, all around the world, there would be children waking to find that he and his elves had left them something wonderful. While Arthur couldn’t bring everyone what they wanted, it was enough to know that, sometimes, others could do that instead of him.
Fin