CHRISTMAS SHOES

SUMMARY: Christmas Eve, the last day to buy gifts for those special people in one's life. Ventus is doing just that when something he wasn't expecting happens. Based upon Newsong's song THE CHRISTMAS SHOES. Better than it sounds (hopefully), so please give a read?

*peeks out from the dimension she's been hiding in* Hellooo~? *scurries out before she gets sucked back into that dimension for another two years* Seriously, how long has it been since I posted any stories on my own page? o_o I know I posted something on my joint account with violet a few months ago, but I haven't done so on my own page in... way too long! *curls up in a ball of shame* Then again, I know I don't have too many people actually waiting on my lazy ass to put stuff out, so... I guess it's not as bad as I'm making it out to be?

*shrug* Anyway! This idea's been bouncing around my head all month, and I've got less than 24 hours to get it written and posted! Also, this is UNBETA'D, so please pardon the sloppiness. I'm thinking of sending this to my RP buddy, Kayla, once it's all written out for her to beta, but we'll see.

I don't know why, but whenever I listen to the song that gave me the idea for this fic, I always picture it being during the Great Depression or beginning of WWII. :/ I dunno, that's just how I always picture it, so that's the era I've placed our favorite characters (those whom make appearances here) for this story. Though, it might be a little skewed as I was never the most attentive during History class. Not to mention my high school didn't really ever COVER it in the regular average history classes. OnO Hell, they gloss over the Vietnam Conflict! (My dad's a former Green Beret who served in that war and I stand by what he says it was, so NYAH! on you your history books and records calling it a war!)

On to the disclaimer! I do NOT own Kingdom Hearts in any way, shape or form other than my copies of KH1, KH Re: CoM, KH2, KH HD 1.5 REMIX, and KH HD 2.5 REMIX. Like all fans, I wish I did, but alas, tis not to be. (Ask Kayla if you can ever figure out how to get a hold of her how badly the series would be fucked up if I owned it! XD) I don't own anything from the Marvel Comics, as I have a one-off mention of something from there in here and no I will not tell you what it is here. I do not own the song, THE CHRISTMAS SHOES, by Newsong, nor the movie I KNOW is out there by the same title—therefore, if you have seen that movie and there are similarities, they are not intended in the least as I have NEVER seen it! I swear on my grandparents' and aunt's and uncle's graves that I have NOT ever seen the movie! Please read, enjoy and review! :)

"words" means Regular talking
'words' means Thinking
'words' means quoting

There were people shoving, scrambling over each other to get the perfect gift for their brother, sister, son, daughter all week. The police had been called five times to three different stores in his neighborhood alone to break up fights over the latest Captain America toys or china dolls. There was no wonder he just... wasn't in the mood for Christmas this year.

He had almost lost his best friend to the war, only being spared losing Terra by the man's heroic actions of saving half his squadron from an enemy ambush, actions that led to him horribly injuring his foot to where he needed a cane at all times to even get around anymore. Ventus himself had barely escaped being dragged into the horrors of war, his frequent blackout episodes being more of a liability than anything else to the war front. Aqua had been happy while Terra'd been away, still having him there and not having to worry about losing both of her best friends to some terrible tragedy; one was enough for her. Aqua had cried when she first heard the news of Terra, first in sadness at his injury, then in joy that he would be coming home. She had cried even more when he arrived at the door, smiling apologetically as if it were something to be sorry for, saving all those men, before behind enveloped in the biggest hug he'd ever received from the blunette. Ventus had smiled and clapped him on the back when she'd finally released him and welcomed him home with a smile all his own.

Shaking his head, he grabbed the latest romance novel off the shelf for the woman and moved on to find something more suitable for their warrior friend. Terra had been back for a month now, working in the local war office as he felt he still had a duty to help the country however he could. Really, Ventus saw no point to it when all the other man talked about was how they were going to win, they were going to stop the massacres occurring across the sea. With an attitude like Terra's being shared by almost all the remaining able-bodied troops, the blond was certain of the same thing.

That still didn't mean he was in the mood for Christmas.

His own job at the banker was looking bleaker and bleaker each day, what with all the foreclosure messages he kept getting handed to send out to the unfortunate families he knew were still recovering from the rather large recession that had hit the country not too long ago. Really, he saw no reason to send such dismal mail this time of year, but he did as he was told, holding off as long as possible to send each one, trying in his own way to give them time to get enough money to forestall the inevitable.

Finally deciding on a new Swiss army knife for Terra, Ventus grabbed the groceries Aqua had originally sent him out for and got in line to check out. There were five people ahead of him, but the one that captivated his attention was the small child of about four years standing right before him. The poor thing's brown hair stuck up all over, almost as spiky as Ventus's or Terra's, but in a different style. The kid kept fidgeting clutching a pair of gorgeous rose pink heels to his dingy clothing. As he looked more closely at the child, he saw he was dirty from those unruly spikes to his ratty shoes; poor kid was probably from one of those families he had to send a foreclosure notice to, if not a family in similar straights.

When it was finally the little boy's turn, he gingerly placed the shoes on the counter and said, "Sir, I wanna buy this shoes for my mama, please. It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size."

'For his mother, huh?' Ventus thought, lips twitching into a faint smile at the adorableness of the child. 'Kid's kind of cute, buying shoes for his mother.'

"Could you hurry, sir?" the boy was continuing, looking up at the clerk with wide, sapphire blue eyes full of urgent sincerity. "Daddy says there's not much time. You see, she's been sick for quite a while, and I know these shoes will make her smile, and I want her to look beautiful, if mam meets Jesus tonight."

That floored him. "If mama meets Jesus tonight." A child so young, how Ventus wished he still had such innocence in his life. He just could not believe the boy had said that, and with such genuine emotion and clarity. 'Wait, did he say something about her being sick?' he thought, brow furrowing ever so slightly.

'She's been sick for quite a while is what he said, the poor kid. I miss my parents, but Eraqus has been doing pretty good, keeping Terra, Aqua and me safe, housed and fed, so I can't complain.' He continued to think to himself about how he would feel if he were the boy's age once more and faced with losing his mother to illness instead of the tragic car crash that took both of his parents in one fell swoop as the boy and Zack, the clerk, counted out pennies for what seemed like ten years. It wasn't until Zack fixed the little boy with sad eyes and said, "Sorry, kid, but there's not enough here."

Ventus was worried the kid's eyes were going to literally pop out of his head with how wide they became in horror, watching closely as the boy searched his pockets in frantic worry, lower lip jutting out in a pout as he turned to face the blond, looking up at him with tears beginning to form in his eyes.

"Mama always made Christmas good at our house, even though she just did without most years," he said, voice admirably wavering very little as he obviously held back his tears. "Tell me, sir, what am I gonna do? Somehow I gotta buy her these Christmas shoes." Now it had wavered, Ventus taking note of the quivering lip that told of heart-wrenching sobs that were to come if he could not purchase these shoes for his obviously wonderful mother.

Forget sobs to come, Ven could feel his heart breaking right then and there just watching it start to happen. He reached into his own pocket and pulled out enough to cover the rest of the bill after looking to Zack for what was still needed, pointedly ignoring the black-haired man's grin of approval as he did so. What he wasn't expecting was the sudden addition of about thirty-five pounds to his legs as the overjoyed child hugged them tightly. Ven was certain that for as long as he lived, he would never, ever forget the ecstatic expression on the boy's face as he thanked him, stating, "Mama's gonna look so great," with that wide grin and happy tears shining in his eyes.

Before he knew it, the weight around his legs was gone and the boy was off out the door with the boxed and wrapped shoes in a bag for him to easily carry them home for his ailing mother. How Zack did that so fast, he would never know, but he shot the man a glare and stated, "Say anything, and I'm keeping your present for myself."

"Aww, that's no fair," Zack whined, ringing his items up for him. "I always save yours for last, Ven. Who'm I gonna do that with if you don't give me my present?"

"Of course it's not fair," Ven shot back, handing over the money for his purchases with a smirk. "I'm not part of your family."

"Hey, what have I said about making fun of my name!"

Taking his change, he chuckled. "Nothing; that's the first I've done it." Taking his bags, he grinned. "Merry Christmas, Zack."

"Merry Christmas, Ven. Tell Aqua I'm looking forward to that plum pudding of her's, will ya?"

Giving an affirmative, Ventus left the store with a smile on his face. He knew, without a doubt, that he had just been given a glimpse of the love of heaven with that little boy. Heading home, he idly wondered if he'd ever see that unruly head of brown spikes again.

"Mama, mama! Look what I got for you!" little Sora cried out as he kicked his tattered shoes off his dirty feet inside the front door, scampering up the steps to his parents bedroom. "Mama! Mama!"

"Shh, Sora," his father scolded gently, scooping the excited boy up in his arms when he ran into the room. "You know your mother needs her rest."

"Yes, daddy," he whispered, hanging his head in shame. He only wanted to give his mother her present before she went to meet Jesus.

"Now, what is it you've got?" his father asked, sitting on the bed next to a softly smiling woman with long, wavy chestnut hair, the little boy squirming until he was seated between his parents.

"I got mama a present," he beamed, holding out the bag to his father. He watched as the scar-faced man pulled the wrapped package out of the brown paper bag it had been placed in, softly smiling himself as his son snuggled close to his mother before handing the package over. "I'm sure she'll love it, Sora."

"Of course I will," she said softly, voice no more than a whisper as she accepted the present, reaching with one hand to ruffle the boy's spiky hair gently. "Will you help me, Sora?"

Grinning from ear to ear, little Sora helped his mother remove the wrapping paper the nice man named Zack had placed over the shoe box, impossibly grinning wider when his mother's eyes widened in surprise at the beautiful shoes laying inside. "Do ya like 'em, mama?"

"Oh, Sora," she breathed, heart fluttering in wonder at how her little boy had managed to buy the shoes she'd been eyeing since before she fell so terribly ill. "How—?"

"He saved up from all that shoe shining he's been doing," his father cut in, laying a hand on the boy's shoulder and squeezing affectionately. He watched as his wife smiled wider, even brighter than she had in the past month alone.

"Thank you so much, dear. Squall, would you help me put them on?" she asked, slowly removing the covers from her lap and waiting for her husband to help her swing her legs out before he slipped the low-heeled shoes on her feet, helping her stand a moment later. Turning back to their son, she opened her arms to invite him into their embrace, laughing softly as he did so with all the enthusiasm of an energetic, high-spirited four-year-old. "I love you, my sweet Sora."

"I love you, Mama," he whispered back, cuddling as close as he could from his position on the bed where he'd remained so as not to topple his parents. Looking up at his father, he smiled. "I love you, too, Daddy."

"I love you as well, Sora," the man chuckled, ruffling his hair. "Why don't you go find Riku and Kairi? I'm sure they want to see you before Christmas after all." Watching his son grin and nod before dashing off with a smile, he simply held his wife to him, enjoying her slight frame pressed to his before she gently reminded him she needed to lay back down. Helping her to do so, though disapproving of her insistence to wear the shoes to bed, he covered her once more and laid his lips against hers. "I love you, Aerith."

"And I, you, Squall Leonhart," she replied, green eyes sparkling strangely. "Watch out for him."

Nodding as he always did when she said this, he climbed into the other side of the bed with her, simply holding her as they waited for Sora to come scampering back from playing with his friends to join them for the night.

Well, whattaya think? I'm debating on adding a bit where Ven gets home and gets asked by Aqua and Terra why he's suddenly smiling so much when he hasn't all month, but I'll let Kayla decide if I should or not. :) The lines Sora first says are exactly from the song, so I obviously do NOT own those, and the lines Zack has shortly after that are slightly changed because I didn't want to actually be quoting every "spoken" line from the song word for word. :/ I know I made Leon and Aerith Sora's parents and with their eye colors that doesn't make any sense, but when you factor in that Squall's mom is Raine in FF8, it does! :P You see, Raine's eyes are blue, so HAHA! :D I hope this made everyone who read it smile. Now, I am off to send this to Kayla for betaing, though whether she'll send it back to be beta'd before I gotta post it up tonight is a toss up, but here's hoping. (If she doesn't get to it by tonight, I've obviously posted and will edit anything she says needs editing later. :) )

HAPPY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE. ENJOY YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY THIS HOLIDAY. And don't drink and drive! That is one of the WORST ideas ever!