I present to you a Christmas Special! Merry Christmas and a Happy New year to everyone! For anyone who hasn't read my story Locks, I would suggest reading a few chapters of that if you get confused over some of the things that happen here.

The next chapter of this will be posted on the 21st (in NZ. That's probably the 20th for Americans.)

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"On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me . . ."

Ace's eyes shot open at the sound of his brother's atrocious singing, sitting bolt upright on the floor of the treehouse.

"A partridge in a pear tree . . . Shishishi!"

Ace glared at the rubber menace, eyebrow twitching. It wasn't even light outside, and Ace firmly believed that no one, not even Luffy, had any right being so chirpy at this time of the morning at such high volume. Beside Ace, Locks made a grumbling noise as she sat up rubbing her eyes. She was in her half form, wings flopping around and tail swishing softly in her tired irritation.

"Luffy . . ." the two said warningly, glaring at the youngest among them. He gave them a grin in return, blindingly bright in the pre-dawn darkness.

"Morning!" Luffy chirped.

Ace wanted to strangle him. Locks beat him to it.

oOo

"But it's Christmas!" Luffy whined when Locks was settled once more.

"No it's not." Ace replied irritably. He had half a mind to follow Locks' example and go back to sleep, come hell or a hyper Luffy.

Luffy pouted.

"It's going to be Christmas." He muttered.

"No care. Want sleep." Locks mumbled, her wings closed around herself. The way she looked kind of reminded Ace of a bat, though she wasn't upside down.

Ace agreed with Locks. Sleep sounded like a great idea.

"But . . . but Christmas." Luffy said.

"Not even know what that is. No care. Want sleep." Locks mumbled again, tail tucking itself closer to her body. Ace lay back down with a sigh, ignoring Luffy.

oOo

An hour later . . .

Ace yawned widely, slowly sitting up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Then he paused, looking around the treehouse.

Luffy was gone, which he expected. However . . . there was no sign of Locks.

With another yawn, Ace got to his feet and left the treehouse. He looked around the clearing.

He was alone.

oOo

Something Luffy had learned was that Locks liked her naps. Ace had narcolepsy and didn't have a choice, but Locks on the other hand would frequently stop whatever she was doing and go to sleep voluntarily. When Luffy had asked her why, she gave him an explanation that he was too lazy to worry about, so he called it "a mystery-dragon disease"

While there was nothing actually wrong with Locks and sleeping like a cat was apparenty normal for dragons her age (according to the bit Luffy paid attention to), Luffy still labelled it a disease. A 'disease' that he was happy to take advantage of.

He'd woken Locks up (again) when the sun came up and dragged her off to get breakfast and extra meat (that he wasn't going to eat just yet). Then he'd decided to go "exploring" until she went to sleep again.

Luffy laughed quietly to himself. Ace was going to be so surprised!

oOo

2 hours later . . .

Ace stared.

While wandering around looking for Locks and Luffy, Ace had been accosted by a suspiciously excited little brother and dragged through the jungle to look at . . . whatever this was.

"Luffy . . ." he said tentatively. The rubber boy giggled in acknowledgement.

"What am I looking at?" Ace finished, morbidly curious as to why Locks was hanging upside down and asleep in a tree filled with meat hanging on strings.

Giggling again, Luffy said matter-of-factly "It's a partridge in a pear tree."

Ace slapped himself in the forehead.