[December 1st 4:30 a.m.]
Lloyd was sitting up in his bed shivering and coughing violently.
"Lloyd... shut up!" Mumbled Laurence Garmadon. He was rolling over in his bed and covering his ear with a pillow.
'Why of all people did it have to be me?' Lloyd thought as his coughing continued.
"Lloyd, I said shut up..." muttered Laurence again.
"Sorry.." Lloyd managed to say between coughs.
Misako then came into the room, having heard one of her sons in what appeared to be a coughing fit. "Lloyd, are you ok?" She whispered. Cringing in maternal sympathy when he coughed in response to her question.
"Is he ok?-" Laurence looked astounded, "-you should be asking if I'm ok! I'm the one trying to sleep here!" He groaned, sitting more upright. His shaggy black hair was a disaster.
"Laurence?..." Misako glared at him.
"What?! It's true! You only ever care about Lloyd. Everything is Lloyd, Lloyd, LLOYD!" Laurence shouted truthfully, honestly. His shouting had caused their sisters, Nancy and Jaylynn, to wake up and come into the room to see what the commotion was about.
"What's going on...?" Muttered Nancy rubbing her sleep deprived eyes.
"Yeah, what's the big deal? I was trying to sleep." Jaylynn yawned.
Lloyds coughs were getting harsher.
"Oh…" said both the girls at once.
"-Laurence, get a thermometer." Misako said gently.
"Why me?!" Shouted Laurence.
"Forget it-" Misako said sternly, "-Nancy, get a thermometer." She repeated, slightly exasperated.
Nancy nodded and left to find a suitable thermometer.
"Lloyd, you cold?-" Jaylynn asked coming to the side of his bed. He nodded at her sorrowfully. She sat down next to him, "-It'll be ok."
Nancy had swiftly returned, thermometer in hand. She smiled down at her mother, "Merry early Christmas, mom. You get a thermometer." Nancy said giving Misako the thermometer.
Laurence was on his bed grumbling about how spoiled Lloyd was.
Misako's face wore a look of concern, "Lloyd, you have a 107.5 fever... you need to lay down." She soothed.
He looked at her with an worried expression, "I can't..." Lloyd said.
"Why not?" Asked Misako, genuinely concerned for one of her children.
"He's scared. He's scared of what's coming for him." Laurence said.
Everyone turned to him when he had muttered that.
He was holding the two golden katana he always slept with. (a/n: I looked it up and katana and katanas are both proper for the English language).
"Laur, don't even think about it." Jaylynn said standing.
Laurence ignored her and lunged towards Lloyd.
Jaylynn shot energy at him, as an immediate response to someone trying to hurt her younger brother. Not that Laurence wasn't her brother too, but she just didn't care about him.
"Laurence, Jaylynn, stop." Said Misako, angrily, her face stern and mildly disappointed.
They turned towards her. She was still sitting on Lloyds bed and they saw that Lloyd had fallen asleep in her arms. "Sorry mom." Jaylynn whispered.
"Whatever." Laurence said as he strolled out of the room.
Nancy yawned in response to seeing her sleeping brother and the hour being too early. "Want one of us to stay with him?" She asked.
"I volunteer as tribute." Jaylynn said.
"It's ok, I'll stay with him." Misako said.
Both the girls had nodded and headed back to their rooms.
[9:00 a.m.]
"Misako...?" said Garmadon, gently shaking Misako.
She woke up with bleary eyes.
"You ok? It took a while for you to wake up," he asked.
Misako nodded. She looked next to her, where Lloyd was peacefully sleeping. He occasionally shivered, but that wasn't that much of an issue to worry about considering it was thirteen degrees below freezing outside.
"Is he... ok?" Garmadon asked.
"Last night he had a fever of 107.5." Misako replied. She was still concerned with the signs of fever.
"Did you give him anything for it?" Garmadon asked shocked.
"No. I wasn't thinking clearly. It was very early." Misako shook her head.
They were both silent and both looked at Lloyd with concern dotting their faces.
The awkward silence was broken by a crash and subsequent shouting that was coming from the kitchen. "Oh no..." they both said in unison as they ran out of the room.
In the kitchen, Nancy was at the table with a cup of coffee and she was half asleep. She was innocent. But Jaylynn and Laurence were both on the floor, covered in flour, eggs, and chocolate chips.
"You did this!" Laurence shouted.
"No you!" Jaylynn shouted back.
"Jaylynn, Laurence, stop your quarreling." Garmadon scolded.
"But she-" Laurence began.
"Laurence..." Misako said, chastising him.
"It was all him! His fault!" Jaylynn said pointing to Laurence.
"Jaylynn, enough. You're too old to be doing this." Garmadon sighed in exasperation.
"Who are you calling old?! Nancy is old!" Jaylynn pointed to the oldest of the Garmadon children.
Nancy was calmly drinking her coffee.
"36 isn't that old. And she's being mature, unlike you!" Garmadon said.
"He's right, Jaylynn," Misako began while holding Laurence back. "You're 26 after all..."
"Not the point." Jaylynn said getting up and brushing off the flour.
"What were you doing, anyway?" Garmadon asked. Laurence and Jaylynn were silent. "Well?"
Then it was Nancy's turn to say something. "They were making pancakes for breakfast this morning. In their words, 'since we are spending the day Christmas shopping at the mall, we might as well have at least one thing nice today. Let's make pancakes'. They couldn't agree on a flavor and it resulted in this." Nancy was careful not to accuse anyone and she still remained calm.
"Thank you, Nancy." Said both Garmadon and Misako.
Nancy proceeded to drink her coffee, an air of serenity about her.
"Get changed you two." Misako said.
Laurence and Jaylynn promptly left the room without saying another word.
After Misako cleaned up the mess, the adults, including Nancy, had a conversation about presents. "What do you think we should get the kids for Christmas?" Garmadon asked.
"This including Jaylynn?" Nancy asked.
Garmadon nodded.
"Well, Lloyd had been talking about this game called Fist to Face 3 for a while..." Misako said.
"Yeah... that's on the list already-" Nancy replied, showing them a list she had. "-and Laurence has been wanting new katana... I don't think that's a good idea though, considering the shenanigan he pulled off this morning."
"Correction, Nancy. The shenanigan he tried to pull off this morning." Misako said.
"What happened?" Garmadon asked curiously.
"Long story. Much rather explain later." Nancy said.
"Ok...," Garmadon sighed. "Anyway... I've been thinking for Laurence maybe... a new laptop. Lloyd destroyed the other one with spinjitzu."
"Yeah, that's a good one. Get that, Nance?" Misako asked.
Nancy nodded. "Maybe a journal too. It helps to write down feelings. Remember how I was when Jaylynn left for Darkleys when I was thirteen?" Nancy asked.
"Yes. Exactly like Laurence. Violence, anger, depression." Garmadon said.
"That all changed after..." Nancy began.
"After I got your journal." Misako said and watched as Nancy added journal to the list. They continued extending the shopping and gift list.
Meanwhile, Lloyd had awoken to his phone blowing up with texts. "Oh no... not again." Lloyd said as he logged into the chat...
Cole: Merry early Christmas! ;)
Zane: Coke, Christmas is not for 24 more days.
Cole: who ya callin coke?!
Kai: lol. Wow Coke... who knew Zane likes soda so much?
Zane: it was a typographical error -_-
Jay: lollollolllollol. I thought waking up to Sam was awesome, but this? This is awesomer! XD
Zane: I repeat, it was a typo!
Kai: Zanie and Coke sitting in a tree...
Jay: K-I-S-S-I-N-G
Lloyd: guys... I was trying to sleep.
Morro: You better not shout you better not cry you better not pout I'm tellin ya why... santa clause is coming to town ;)
Jay: XD XD good morning, Morro.
Morro: sup
Kai: Nothing. Just torturing Zane.
Zane: it. Was. A. TYPO!
Cole: ok, ok.. geez
Lloyd: I'm leaving. Bye.
Jay: NO!
Lloyd: why?
Morro: I have to sing more Christmas carols to you. XD
Lloyd: I'd rather be tortured by Jaylynn
Jay: how's our sister?
Morro: how's my teammate?
Lloyd: good. She's fine. She's just fine
Kai: teammate? Sister?
Cole: woah woah woah woah woah woah woah woah...woah. Jay and Lloyd are related?
Jay: yup. Step brothers.
Lloyd: yeah. When Jaylynn was younger and Nancy was... like fifteen I think... Jaylynn lived with the walkers. She was eventually adopted by them. She forget she was a Garmadon when she was four and a half. That's all I know.
Morro: yup. :p
Zane: Tomorrow, you have no say in this.
Morro: tomorrow doesn't have a say in this. But I do.
Zane: **Morro.
Jay: XD
Kai: wow Zane. Turn on spellcheck.
Zane: it is on
Lloyd: autocorrect?
Zane: that is the source of my misery.
Cole: as in...?
Zane: Coke... Tomorrow...
Jay: oh. Typos
Lloyd: welcome to typo and misperfection land.
Zane: ha ha ha. Very funny
Morro: it's hard to tell if you're serious when you say that or being satcastic
Zane: it is a majikal thing called sarcasm
Lloyd: typo?
Zane: no
Cole: XD XD XD XD XD XD XD
~Zane left the chat~
Lloyd: Morro, Jaylynns been talking about you forever.
Morro: that's why I'm coming...
Jay: awe its lurv
Kai: wow Jay
Cole: I'm drinking Coke with my cake now.
Morro: for breakfast?
Cole: yup.
Jay: weirdo.
Morro: bye guys. And see ya soon, Lloyd
Jay: WWWAAAAIIIITTTTTTT
Morro: yeah?
Jay: you have to sing a Christmas carol for your departure
Morro: –_– fine...
Lloyd: oh no
Morro: give me a sec. it'll take a moment to type
Kai: ok
Lloyd: ...
Kai: sup?
Jay: sitting in a tree with da snow
Kai: SNOW?! A GF?!
Lloyd: no idiot. The frozen flakes of precipitation that falls from the fluffy things in the sky called clouds.
Kai: oh
Jay: you speak idiot?
Lloyd: I learn from Laur
Morro: Up on the housetop reindeer paws, out jumps good ol' santa clause. Down through the chimney with lots of toys all for the children's Christmas joy. Ho ho ho, who wouldn't go. Ho ho ho who wouldn't go up on the housetop click click click down through the chimney with old Saint Nick.
Jay: clap clap clap. Bravo Morro. Beautiful and harmonized.
Morro: bows... thanks.
Kai: I will never understand you two.
Morro: :D good. Bye
~Morro left the chat~
Lloyd sighed as he logged off.
"Who were you talking to?" Laurence asked when Lloyd put down his phone.
"Nobody." Lloyd replied. "Jay-...," he coughed "-Lynn, Morros coming over in a bit!" Lloyd said.
"K! Thanks!" Jaylynn called from her room.
Laurence rolled his eyes as he put on his shoes.
Nancy poked her head into the room. "Guys, we are going shopping as soon as Morro, Zane, Jay, and uncle Wu get here." Nancy said.
"Alright." Lloyd said hugging himself for warmth.
"In the meantime, mom and dad want you to put up decorations." She smirked.
"Uuuggggghhhhhhhhhhh fine..." Laurence groaned and shuffled out of the room still holding his cherished katana.
"Lloyd, you ok?" Nancy asked sitting next to him.
"Yeah. It's just cold. Whenever I put a blanket or sweater on, it's too hot." He explained.
"Why don't you come out and have breakfast? I'll make you tea." Nancy offered.
Lloyd nodded and the both of them headed to the kitchen. Nancy might not have been an elemental master, but she was a wonderful sister and nurse.
"Morning, Lloyd." Misako greeted when they got to the kitchen.
"Good morning, mom." Lloyd said. He sat next to Garmadon, whom was reading a newspaper article.
"So, we are still waiting on who?" Misako asked.
"Jay, Zane, Wu, and-" Nancy began.
"And me..." said a voice from a corner.
They turned around. Morro was standing in the shadows with Jaylynn by his side.
"Yeah, and you." Nancy said,
"Jaylynn, teach your boyfriend to stop stalking our lives." Garmadon said.
Lloyd laughed, "Hiya Morro." He greeted and then simultaneously coughed.
"Hey. Did you like my Christmas carols?" Morro asked seriously.
"No." Lloyd smiled, he was pulling Morro's leg.
"Gasp... how rude." Morro said pretending to be offended.
"Good morning, Morro." said Misako.
"Good morning, Misako... Garmadon... Nancy..." Morro said in response.
"I swear, if you start singing like last time, you're dead." Laurence said coming into the room.
"Love ya too, Laurence." Morro said brushing off the insult.
"Hey, at least you and I agree on one thing." Lloyd quipped, looking at Laurence.
"What's that?" Asked Laurence.
"Morros singing is annoying." Lloyd said.
"Oh? Well in that case," he looked at Jaylynn as if asking permission. She nodded.
"..you know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen but do you recall the most famous reindeer of all? Rudolph the red nose reindeer had a very shiny nose and if you ever saw him you would even say it glows..." He kept singing but Lloyd and Laurence were trying not to listen.
"Urgh, it's gonna be a looonnngggg day."