[OP: music video--(Life Vest Inside)-- Kindness Boomerang. Set to "One Day" by Matisyahu]

After Thanksgiving, Mike and Anne wanted to discuss doing some kind of Christmas-themed outreach for mutants.

The Way always did one for needy kids anyway, but they thought they could expand it.

Jubilee was actually all about that idea...and surprised when Shine recommended that they put her in charge of gathering toys and clothes, etc. Along with Trinity.

"What? You're a natural with the kids," Shine said. "And I'm going to be super busy planning the Church's special service for mutants, so I have my hands full."

"Okay..." Jubilee said.

Of course they needed adult supervision, but Nancy, Caleb's sister, offered to drive them around and stuff. She was on Christmas break anyway.

So was Trinity's brother, Will, and he agreed to help also. Trinity was actually thrilled to finally have him hang out with her new Mutant friends.

Nancy and him also seemed to hit it off, mutual interests, perhaps. Such as watching their younger siblings and becoming interested in the whole mutant thing.

Trinity's family always did the charity donation thing every year, and she knew neighborhoods to go to where people tended to be more interested in giving. 

But Will, who was studying business in college, said that maybe they should see if any shops were interested in donation. "Aren't there some around who put up mutants welcome signs?" he said. "I bet they'd be part of this. If it's through the church, it's tax deductible too. More people will do something if they think they get something out of it anyway."

"Not really the holiday spirit," Trinity said.

"Well, sis, not everyone is Christian about it," Will said. "But help is help."

"I think it's a good idea," Jubilee said. "Ryan, Kevin, you coming with us?"

"Sure," they said.

"Should we ask Kitty?" Trinity said. 

They were discussing it in the living room at the time.

"She's Jewish--she's not going to come with us," Jubilee said.

"She might be Jewish, but this is for charity," Trinity said. "She's still a mutant.... Maybe it'd hurt her feelings if you don't ask her."

"I think she might be right," Ryan said. "Kitty will just be a buzzkill if she comes, though. She'll probably talk about the economy or something."

"Well, that doesn't sound so bad," Will said. "Kitty's a smart kid."

"Too smart." Jubilee rolled her eyes. "But fine, let's ask her. It'll be our good deed for the day."

"You stop at one?" Nancy said. "That's a little small."

"Kitty!" Jubilee just yelled at her up the hall.

"Jubilee!" Storm walked in. "What have I said about using your inside voice? We do not yell for people in this house. You'll scare the kids."

"Sorry..." Jubilee gestured sheepishly.

"Storm!" Rogue flew in, yelling. "Billy done set somethin' on fire in the backyard. Can ya come put it out?! Lickety split!"

"What? What did he...?" Storm raced out the door.

"What did he set on fire?" Ryan asked.

"Ya know that kid," Rogue said. "I think he was tryin' to make his own campfire. Somebody forgot to tell 'im ya have to clear the grass out of the dirt before ya do that."

She glanced at Will and Nancy.

"Oh, uh, don't mind us," she said quickly. "This kind of thing just is an accident--kids, y'know?"

She flew out.

Will started laughing. "This house must be real interesting to live in."

"Yeah...interesting," Jubilee muttered.

"What?" Kitty popped out of the wall so fast she almost gave them a heart attack.

"Whoa!" Nancy jumped.

"We're going to go ask people to help with our feed the children/mutants Christmas project," Trinity said. "We wanted to know if you want to join us. We need all the help we can get."

"For that?" Kitty raised an eyebrow. "I don't know... I'm trying to catch up on my studying."

"We literally have Winter break in, like, a week and half," Jubilee said. "Why would you cram now?"

"Because we'll be on break, and I want to get a head start," Kitty said.

"Smart," Will said. "Hi, remember me?"

Kitty looked him over. "You had one science class with me, right?"

"Yeah," Will said. "Funny how things work out, isn't it? Sure you can't spare a few hours for us? I mean, it's for the kids."

Kitty hesitated. "I guess.... Maybe...it would be Tikkun Olam, as my dad would say."

"That's the spirit," Nancy said. "Ah, my mother used to say that. You're Jewish, right? So am I."

"But you..." Kitty was about to say go to church and stopped.

"Yeah, I converted," Nancy answered her unspoken question. "But can't lose the upbringing."

"I never even knew Caleb's family was Jewish," Trinity hissed to Jubilee. "He doesn't seem like it."

"And how do they seem?" Jubilee said blankly. "Who cares anyway? We better get Colossus to come now."

"Why?"

"Because otherwise one of us will be stuck with her," Jubilee hissed.

"I don't think that's a very Christian attitude..." Trinity began, but Jubilee wasn't listening anymore.

Colossus was willing to come, though, and help "supervise." Plus he had Christmas shopping to do early, since he had to mail it all the way to Russia and didn't trust the postal service to be very speedy about it.

So they all went out.

* * *

Shine asked Emma if she'd like to help her with her message for the church.

"You're asking me for help?" Emma said, rather surprised. "I think I expressed very clearly, I am not religious."

"I know," Shine said. "But I try to get all different kinds of perspectives. Of course, any attempt of mine to try to encompass mutants will sound parochial, but I can do my best."

She took out her notebook. "I'd just like to know more about you, also maybe how mutants feel about religion...and Christmas...If that's okay. I won't be using your name or anything."

Emma put her hands together. "I suppose I could help. Though your teaching is highly unorganized. I think you just make up whatever you're going to say on the spot. Wouldn't that be a better place to start?"

Shine looked up. "One thing at a time, Emma. Give me something I can use, and maybe I'll listen to your critiques on my method. Maybe." Her tone was warning.

Emma shrugged. "What do you want to know?"

"Let's start with where you were born," Shine said. "Other than England."

"Actually, I was technically born in America," Emma said. "My family is British. I attended boarding school in Britain. The accent just stuck." [I made up this fact to explain why she has one since the show doesn't bother to, I think they just thought it made her sound smarter. But a lot of wealthy families do send their kids out of country to study, so, it makes sense.]

"They must be pretty introverted if that's the case," Shine muttered.

"They are," Emma said, a little coldly.

They were in the dining room, and some of the others passed by and passed back out. But they ignored them.

"Anything about your family I should know?" Shine said.

"Well, they were quite wealthy," Emma said. "That's the first thing everyone always wants to know, isn't it?"

"Not really," Shine said. "I'd have asked if they were good, loving people."

"Oh...well the usual--internal drama, fighting over the business, that sort of thing," Emma said. "But it doesn't matter. A thing of the past."

"Ah, my family has their own business also," Shine said. "I hated it though. But it was a useful experience, that's for sure. I know a lot more about marketing things because of it. Partly where I got some of my ideas for the whole ministry we seem to have started. I'm sure that made you a better manager for your school."

"It did." Emma was rather surprised at her quick observation of this fact. "Though it had nothing to do with my family."

"And are you the only mutant in it?" Shine asked.

"No," Emma said.

"Only child?"

"No, I had siblings-- Isn't this getting a little too personal?"

"I know nothing at all about you," Shine said. "I'm just getting context. I have siblings also. I'm the oldest, or eldest, as you'd say."

"It really doesn't matter," Emma said dryly.

"Any religious backgrounds with them?" Shine asked.

"Not much to speak of. I know my grandparents attended occasionally," Emma said. "Just for show. Back in those days, hardly anyone would trust you if you didn't attend church once in a while. Not so much now."

"Sadly no," Shine said.

"You really think the idea of people posing as Christians just to get business is a good one?" Emma said.

"Oh, no, that disgusts me," Shine said emphatically. "But I do think society lost something when it ceased to respect the acknowledgment of a higher power as something people needed to have in their lives. Became obsessed with holding up idols of fame and fortune instead of God. Do you really think that's better? How shallow is it? I know, you're a skeptic, but surely an intelligent woman like you can see how we've replaced the idea of God with Man, which is a far stupider thing to worship."

Emma studied her. "Flattery won't make me agree with you."

"No, but it will make you think twice about mocking me," Shine said easily. "Now...let's see, what else...? So you never explored that, at any time? I guess what I'm asking is, is God relevant to you? You're a rare kind of mutant, able to easily hide your powers, having a successful family, money, intelligence and education, enough to do pretty much whatever you want...but you joined a cult. That just doesn't make sense. Apparently you do seek a higher purpose, and you turned to one like that? I don't understand it."

"Aren't you impertinent? As if it's any of your business."

"Well, sweetheart, it may not be, but you read people's minds all the time without their permission, and yet you volunteer no info about your own ideas or beliefs," Shine said, savagely. "Kind of makes me think you're afraid to express them. Or, you just don't have any. Must be convenient to hide behind exposing everyone else and never having to worry about anyone looking at you. I know the trick. but I detest using it myself. I'm an open book. If I'm going to out other people, I'm going to out myself too. Fair is fair. But you believe knowledge is power, right?"

"How...how did you--?" Emma stopped. "Oh, you think you're so clever. You don't know me, you're just guessing based on some preconceived notion you have of people."

"And judging by how uncomfortable you're getting, I'm doing pretty well." Shine was undaunted. "Either tell me what's true, or I keep guessing it on my own. This only works two ways."

"I might have known this was just some trick to get me to talk more about my past," Emma said.

"Brava, you figured it out," Shine said. "But didn't I say that's what it was? How did I trick you? By asking too good questions?"

"All right, you know what? You're just...being insufferable." Emma didn't like this. "You want to know more about what I think? I think this is a waste of time."

"Heard it before." Shine was provoking her now.

"Well, perhaps you've not heard this, but you know why people like you believe in a Higher Power?" Emma was mad now. "It's because they think they can't cope with things on their own. They're weak. And I did not join a cult because I was seeking a purpose. I did it because I thought it would accomplish something useful, eliminating a real threat, not imaginary ones like the idea that people are going to hell for being bad."

"Which part of that was I not supposed to have heard before?" Shine asked, not at all upset. "I've heard all of it multiple times."

"Well..." Emma faltered. "Fine, then, but you'll still think what you do, so what's the point of asking people what they think? You don't listen."

"I'm unshaken in my faith. And I, to be blunt, think you're stupid for not believing the same thing as me. You get offended if you want, but I'm simply more honest than the average person, aren't I? Don't we all secretly think that?"

Emma began to say something and then paused.

"Plus, you just said I'm fighting an imaginary thing and wasting my time, so I think we're even on dissing each other's intelligence," Shine added, before she could come up with a retort.

Emma bit her lip. "I suppose I did say that... Fine, fair enough. But I'm not interested in it."

"Yes, you were not interested in being told you were wrong at any point in your life, that I can see." Shine sat back. "You go your own way. Normally, I respect that. But I have to wonder...have you ever actually let anyone dissuade you from making what was probably a bad decision?"

"I.... What business is it of yours?" Emma said. "And I don't remember every decision I ever made that well.... What does this have to do with your interview?"

"Well, most mutants who reject our faith do it because they say we're too little, too late," Shine said. "That's what I've been hearing. Or they think we're deluding ourselves; it's too good to be true. But people like you tend to think just the opposite. You like making you own choices, and you don't like the idea that God could be out there, and your decisions could be wrong...but your decisions have been wrong. So why be so against the idea of some Being higher than us knowing better? We had better hope someone does. You think I'm the one who's kidding myself, Emma? You have kidded yourself your entire life. That's obvious."

"You do not know that about me," Emma said hotly.

"Maybe I don't," Shine said. "Give me a counter example."

But Emma couldn't.

[And if you knew her full backstory...which is a hot mess of continuity problems, thanks to being different with different writers...you'd understand.]

"You're so smug," she finally said.

"And you, my friend, are beaten," Shine said. "And you know it. So may I suggest you drop the superior attitude with me and actually help me here? I hope I do not have to have this conversation again with you."

"You are speaking to me like I'm a child. I'm not a child."

"But you act like one, don't you?" Shine said. "A child would insult people without giving a thought to their feelings, wouldn't they? But when a grown woman does it, we call it being a word I can't say aloud. Same difference. I'm just throwing it out there, Emma. I am like you in one way--I do like to be right...but I'm not mean to people over it. Do you see my point?"

"This is about more than this interview, isn't it?" Emma said. "You're talking about that little, blue friend of yours."

"If you thought of that, then you must think you're being mean to her."

"I think you might think of it that way." 

"Why should I have an opinion on it?" Shine shrugged. "She's a grown woman. She can decide for herself. Of course, if you're ignoring her signals...well, that's on you. And this isn't really what I wanted to talk about, but if you want to explain yourself right now, feel free. Or we can go back to my notes. Your call."

"Clearly you want to talk about it."

"I want peace," Shine said. "But I will not get in the middle of your feud you have. My interest is in helping you, Emma...whatever way I can. I know you don't have the confidence in me that the others have...or in anyone, actually. But do you have confidence in yourself?"

"I..." Emma paused. "I always have relied on my own judgment. But that is not what you want to hear, is it?"

"It is what I expected to hear though," Shine said. "But actually, Emma, as a Christian, I have never thought it's so wrong to use your head. Some of us say that, but I'm of the intellectual breed, the ones who like to argue with you. And I have the audacity to think I can scientifically defend my faith, morally defend it, and intellectually also. And I think anyone as smart as you ought to be smart enough to look up once in a while and realize there must be something to this world that we can't see. I really can only help people if they are willing to accept that I believe what I do, and my help is based on that. We had to have this conversation eventually. Do you understand?"

"Of course I do! It's not exactly a complicated thing you're saying," Emma said snippily. But Shine only laughed at her. 

"You sound like Kitty," she said. "Oh, gosh, that was me as a teenager too...memories..."

"Wow...there really is no way to make you angry, is there?" Emma finally just had to admit.

"Not so easily," Shine said. "But one thing does make me angry." Suddenly she turned serious. "When someone hurts my friends. On purpose."

[Angry Shine image by Onerose]

Emma found she didn't care for her intensity there... It was chilling.

"You swap your little insults if you want," Shine said, in the same tone, "but let me be clear about one thing: If you use your telepathy to do one thing to Raven, I am going to take you down, one way or the other, Emma."

Emma swallowed. "You're...threatening me?"

"I can't have people carry things that far," Shine said. "I don't have to worry about it with the other telepaths around here. But you, I'm sorry, can be kind of a bully."

"A bu--" Emma began but was cut off.

"I figure you two can handle each other as long as it stays fair," Shine said. "Like I said, I won't get in the middle of it. But you will keep it fair. You understand? I would prevent her from using a gun on you for the same reason. You use your power on her that way, and you're in trouble. Do you understand? I don't care how mad she makes you. Or how clearly you envy her."

"Well--what did you just say?" Emma said. "What a preposterous idea! I do not envy that woman."

"Keep telling yourself that." Shine wrote something down. "I take it you have had high standards put on you your whole life and very little positive reinforcement."

"What? Wait," Emma sputtered.

"Isolated from any real friendships," Shine went on, tapping her pen, "probably because of a snobby family, possible undercurrent of verbal abuse. Shouldering way too much responsibility from early on."

"Stop that!" Emma said. "What are you doing?"

"Assessing you," Shine said. "Don't worry, I won't put this into my message. It just helps me with it. I'm planning on talking about Humility. See, one big thing about the Christmas story that people outside the faith often miss is just how spectacularly humble it is. They see our big decorations, and they imagine that's how it was when it happened. But that is just our way of honoring it for ourselves. In fact, Jesus shed his heavenly form to become human, and to become the most helpless of humans, an infant, born in a dirty, little stable in a small town no one cares about except as a historical footnote on King David's lineage. The only people invited to his birth were shepherds, the lowest of the low jobs in society...respectable ones, anyway. But you know? That's what it's about for us."

She smiled at Emma oddly. "The more great someone is, the more humble they become. Glory itself is humbling, isn't it? It reminds us of how easily we could have fallen short of it...or how important it is to be worthy of it. But to be humble even when you had it all? When you are literally God...that is something only God has pulled off. We're humbled because we make errors...but God is humble because He never makes errors, and He does not expect the same of us. That's humble..."

Emma frowned at her. "A nice story...but it's not provable."

"Actually historians have pretty much agreed that that part is true, Wise Girl," Shine shrugged. "But it doesn't matter, does it? Even if it wasn't provable, you won't find such an idea in any other religion that I know of. Everyone else puffs themselves up. They're special--they're the enlightened ones...and so some of us act. Like I told you, I like to be right...but it's okay to be right, if you can first admit you were wrong. I take joy in being right now, because I was wrong for so long. That's why we sing in so many of our songs, I was lost, but now I'm found. I was blind, but now I see. I was broken, but now I'm whole. Salvation is a joy, Emma, not some quaint, little idea that we have to comfort ourselves because life is hard. Pardon my saying so, but your need to prove yourself smart and capable is far closer to a comfortable coping mechanism than the guts to say that we don't have it all figured out ever has been. Ask anyone in psychology. People who admit they need help are always the ones closest to being healthy."

Emma frowned at her. "This turned into a lecture fast."

"Sorry, sometimes it just comes out of me," Shine said. "Especially when people act all hoity toity about it to me."

She laughed. "The idea of you sitting there trying to tell me I'm the foolish and ignorant one, it's too funny. Well, even if you knew better than me, it wouldn't make you any nicer about it, would it? But I don't need to take that from you. I couldn't help people if I didn't know more than them. That's the fact. No reason to praise myself, but I'm no doormat either. You think about that... I think I have enough for my message, thanks."

"Happy to help," Emma said coldly, getting up and leaving.

She found Mystique was sitting in the room alongside the dining room.

"And I suppose you heard all that." Emma glared at her.

"Just some of it." Mystique wasn't concerned at all. "Mostly I just heard what sounded like arguing. So it finally happened."

"What happened?" Emma said.

"You got her fired up enough for her to put you in your place." Mystique was not even trying to hide being smug about it. "About time. Guess you won't try to sass her again."

"Oh, you just love this, don't you?" Emma said. "Like I'm going to let myself be intimidated by a wannabe therapist who subscribes to some archaic religion like it's scientific theory."

"Yeah, I remember when I thought that too," Mystique said.

"And you fell under their spell, I take it," Emma said.

"No," Mystique said. "I just figure that if someone is going to apply an archaic religion like it's science...and it works...I might have to think twice about what exactly it is I don't find realistic about it. That's all. It's overly optimistic, I think, but they've convinced all these people to take it seriously, even if they don't all subscribe to it. You think you're going to be special or something, Frost?"

"I'd like to think so," Emma said. "What shocked me is that I can tell you're not lying about that. But I see through you, Mystique. You just like that they like you for some inexplicable reason."

"Yeah, inexplicable." Mystique didn't even get upset--normally she would have. "Just about as inexplicable as why she likes you, also. I don't get it. But I've gotten tired of fighting her about it. But if you want to, I'm perfectly willingly to find that entertaining to watch."

"Both of you are insufferable."

"You're just mad that she got the better of you," Mystique said. "Scary, isn't it? The feeling that someone just read your entire life history? What's worse? Aren't you just dying to walk back in there and ask her to elaborate more on it?"

"What?" Emma looked uneasy finally.

"Come on, you know it--deep down, you want to know if there's something in all this that can help you," Mystique said. "Because you're just as lost as every other nut job around here is."

"Aren't you high and mighty all of the sudden." Emma had no better response. "Where is this sudden insightful claptrap coming from?"

"Oh, please, I know faking it when I see it," Mystique shot back. "You're pathetic."

That did it.

"I have had quite enough of this," Emma said. "I don't have to stand here and listen to you. You little--well, I can't even say what you are; the children might hear me. But you know. At least no one around here thinks I'm just looking for a chance to betray them as soon as it's convenient."

Mystique finally wavered, but then she narrowed her eyes. "Maybe if they knew more about you, they would, though. What is it that you're hiding, Frost?"

"I owe you no explanation of my life, one way or the other, and you have not incited any confidence in yourself," Emma said snootily, walking out of the room.

Mystique figured she'd won that one, for once.

She walked into the kitchen to find Shine still taking notes.

"So, it finally happened," she said.

"Eavesdropping is really not a good idea, Raven." Shine didn't even look up.

"I didn't hear that much of what you said. I just know what it was about," Mystique said. "You love this, don't you?"

"It can be exhausting." Shine looked up. "But it had to happen. Emma will never accept help if she thinks she can get away with this act of hers. But she may never forgive me for calling it into question the way I did. Just a risk I have to take. Still, it worked out well with you."

"Don't get cocky," Mystique said. "I haven't signed up for anything. You're easily one of the most stubborn people I've ever met, but that's as far as I'm willing to go."

"Yes, but we're at least honest with each other about that fact," Shine said. "That's as much as I can ask for. God does the rest. I hope Emma is not bothering you too much."

"I can handle her," Mystique said...though she was not so sure of it herself.

"Okay," Shine said. "Morph has been kind of worried about it, but I figured you had it under control."

"Morph?" Mystique scoffed. "He's just concerned about people fighting, thinking something will blow up... We can't be trusted, you know." She made a face.

Shine perceived easily enough that she was upset under it, however.

"Actually, he was more worried he didn't handle it the right way," she said casually. "He asks me quite often about the best way to be your friend."

Mystique went from scornful to uncomfortable real fast. "Oh, shut up."

"I'm serious," Shine said. "I like Morph, you know. He's the sort of person who actually cares about people enough to want to understand them. I like that. You could make it a little easier on the poor guy though."

"I never asked anyone to--and it's not--You're trying to get me to say something here, aren't you?" Mystique said.

"It's not wrong to have friends, you know," Shine said.

"I'm not..." Mystique faltered. "All right, we both know I can't...so, what's the point? Frost is right...they don't trust me...and I don't blame them."

"Oh, don't listen to what she said," Shine said. "She's always got a bee in her bonnet, as they say in England... Look, Raven, no one understands better than me how confusing all this can be for you... I'm sorry about that. But one thing you know is that we're genuine. However genuine you choose to be in return is up to you, but if your lack of trust is based on your own failings and not anyone else's, they may not understand that... Just think about it. I'd like there to be a better understanding between everyone. And I, for one, have quite enjoyed your stay here. It's never boring."

"I'll say that," Mystique said wryly. "I accepted your friendship because you wouldn't take no for an answer, Shine. And because you care little about what people are and who they've been...but I did not look for you to change those expectations."

"Raven--" Shine looked at her suddenly, steady. "--it's not my expectations that have changed."

Mystique stared at her.

And then she suddenly turned and left the room.

"Here we go," Shine muttered to herself.