"DUUUUUUUUDE!" the familiar cry was the only alert Harvey got before he was pounced on by an excited and hyper 90's Kid. "Where've you been, man?!" Harvey couldn't help but chuckle and peel the most immature member of their ragtag group off him.
"Around, idiot. Good tah see ya," he slapped 90's Kid on the back. "Hey, Doc,"
"Welcome back, Finevoice," Dr. Linksano nodded with a smile as he toasted Harvey with a glass of eggnog. The Ninja-Style Dancer and Boffo waved silently in greeting as Pollo said, "Merry Christmas, Harvey. It is good to see you again,"
"Back at ya, Blue," Harvey looked around and caught sight of someone very familiar being served eggnog by a grinning Linkara.
"Iron, aren't ya meant tah be at school?" he exclaimed in surprise. Iron Liz smirked from her spot on the couch next to Boffo.
"I figured you'd be back for Christmas, so I asked Linkara if it was okay to stop by," Liz took a sip from her drink. "I needed a break from school anyways,"
Harvey smiled at the entire group, drinking and laughing with each other and he sighed silently. How could he have forgotten how much he had missed them all, even though they could get on his nerves something awful? As Linksano engaged Liz in conversation, the Ninja-Style Dancer and Boffo began playing cards and Pollo kept zapping 90's Kid with tiny bolts of electricity to stop him from touching the eggnog, Harvey caught Linkara's eye. Linkara cocked a questioning eyebrow and Harvey indicated the hallway. They both slipped out.
"Something wrong?" Linkara asked, passing Harvey a second cup of eggnog as he took a drink from his own cup.
"Ya desehrve teh know da truth, kid. 'Bout why I stepped out," Harvey held the cup as he explained about how he'd seen Linkara as a replacement for his son, and how angry he'd been when Linkara left, because it was like losing Charlie all over again. As Harvey continued speaking, he watched Linkara's face. The cheery look in his eyes had faded and was replaced with horror and empathy. When Harvey finished, having explained his journey, Linkara blinked rapidly.
"Harvey…" his strangled voice made Harvey realize that this was not Linkara, the confident comic-book reviewer, Captain of Comicron-1 and Champion of Earth speaking, but Lewis, who was still just a guy who just loved comic books, Doctor Who, Pokemon and video games. This was the side of Linkara hardly anyone got to see – mainly Iron Liz when they had been dating. "I'm so sorry…I'm not thrilled that you saw me as a replacement, but…I think I understand now. I'm sorry," Harvey was shocked and a bit horrified that Lewis' eyes were tearful now.
"Aw, jeez, kid, no," he placed a hand on each of Linkara's shoulders and forced the critic to look at him. "Don't. I know why ya did what ya had to. An' Ah'm sorry I saw you as Chahlie. That's not fair tah either of ya," Linkara blinked rapidly again and sniffed a bit, looking every bit like a boy who'd been told that Santa wasn't real, but that the Christmas Spirit did exist and that he'd still get his presents.
"No, but…well, I have a dad of my own, but…it's nice to know that you see me like a son and have my back like a dad should," Linkara smiled. Harvey grinned back and slapped Linkara's back.
"In a New York minute, kid," Linkara grinned himself.
"You coming back in?"
"Ah, yeah. Just…ah…need a minute, okay?" Linkara nodded and made his way back into the living room. Harvey had seen something Linkara hadn't.
"Ya don' want 'im tah see ya, doll?" he asked as soon as Linkara was out of earshot, facing a young redheaded girl with glasses and a peaceful smile. White shirt, blue jeans, pink trainers and a red and white Santa hat, she looked no older than 14 as she stood before him, her hands behind her back.
"He doesn't need me at the moment, Mr. Finevoice," she explained politely. "You did,"
"I…did? Wait, were you the one responsible for all those ghouls comin' tah me?" Harvey was taken aback. She smiled broader and nodded.
"I'm Margaret," she introduced herself. Harvey's eyes widened.
"As in…Linkara's Magic Gun, Margaret?" she nodded again.
"Yup," she rocked back and forth on her feet. Harvey was humbled. Linkara and Margaret were partners, but she had only ever really manifested herself before the kid.
"Why?" he asked quietly. She smiled.
"You needed to let go, Mr. Finevoice. And…well, Linkara looks up to you. Not like a dad, but like a mentor. That makes you family to him. I never had one…not really," her face darkened a little and Harvey swallowed. He remembered how Margaret came to be – her parents had pretended to love her, and instead tortured her and drained her life essence into Linkara's Magic Gun. How parents could do that to a child, Harvey could not even fathom. Her face became cheery once more as she finished, "And as I understand it, family protects its own," she smiled broadly. "Even if it's just getting over an old trauma,"
"Ya know it was more than that," Harvey chided gently. She nodded.
"Yeah, I know. But…well…" She looked shy now, no longer the serenely confident "I'm-A-Badass-With-Magic-Powers-But-I'm-Also-Really-Nice" Margaret, but an actual, awkward young girl. "You're pretty much everything I wished my own dad had been. Before they started hurting me, they pretty much hated my existence. As a weapon, I was useful. Not as a daughter. But you loved your son. He was your whole world," Margaret blinked rapidly and looked away. "I've never had my parents look at me like that," she whispered. "Parents shouldn't have to bury a child, Mr. Finevoice, my parents aside. But your pain…it was destroying you. And for what? Loving Linkara and Charlie and wanting to protect them that much? I…I had to help…somehow," she was red in the face now, embarrassed at her own weakness, it seemed. Harvey felt his heart fracture a little. Then, he did something he hadn't done since he felt the life leave Charlie's broken body all those years ago. He opened his arms and gave Margaret a hug. She buried her face in his chest and cried silently. He stroked her hair without saying a word. What did you say to someone who had been through that much and used her powers to help you get through your own trauma that was nothing in comparison? "Thank you" didn't seem to cover it.
Margaret sniffled and pulled away, wiping her eyes under her glasses. She smiled brightly and placed a gentle kiss on Harvey's cheek.
"Welcome home, Mr. Finevoice," she murmured. And with that, she was gone, with nothing left but a small patch of tears soaking Harvey's shirt. With a blink and a faint smirk of old quirking his lip, Harvey saluted the air, turned on his heel and went to rejoin the party, taking a sip of warming eggnog as he went.