My Christmas tribute! Merry Christmas! It's Christmas Eve!
Summary: Christmas in La Rousse has just achieved a whole new level of craziness.
Michelle: Hey, everyone! Michelle here. You may remember me, since I've made several appearances in Roses of La Rousse. Well, not in the actual story, but you may have noticed me in several disclaimers. Ring a bell yet? The green-haired, blue-eyed girl who interrupted Aunt Dari's disclaimer speech?
Darryl (from the side): I haven't forgotten that, Michelle!
Michelle: Technically, I wasn't born at that point of time yet, nor in the timeline of A New Beginning, naturally. Fast forward a few years though, and you'll find me. Yep, my father is Drew and my mother is May. That makes me the product of Contestshipping. (grins) Let your imaginations run wild.
Drew (from the side): Michelle, what are you telling the readers?
Michelle: Nothing, Dad! (winks at readers) Well, this particular story is set several years after Roses of La Rousse, though not quite at the time I am in right now. I shall inform you that I am eleven this year. As you continue reading, you shall find me considerably younger. I was only five that Christmas. Anyway-
Ann and Al: (suddenly pops up) Hi!
Michelle: What are you two doing here?
Ann: (shrugs) Mum told us to come. Something about retribution.
Al: We're Michelle's twin cousins. I suppose you can easily guess who our parents are.
Ann: So, let's get the show on the road! S-
Zachary: (appears) Stelra Etnae doesn't own-
Joyce: (interrupts) Stelra Etnae doesn't own Pokemon, only Aunt Dari, Uncle Bernard, Mum, Aunt Tiffany, Michelle, Ann, Al, my lil' brother over there, and yours truly. (waves and leaves)
It was Christmas Eve, and preparation were underway in a house in La Rousse. There was no trouble yet, but knowing the current occupants of the house, peace wouldn't last.
A particularly loud crash sounded in the living room and little Zachary started wailing. In the kitchen, Christie sighed. Wiping her hands on a cloth, she said, "I'll find out what's going on."
Darryl and May exchanged amused looks as Christie left to check on her two-year-old son. They turned back to the food preparation, but were soon interrupted by another commotion.
"Al! Ann! Come back here!" someone yelled, obviously exasperated.
May raised an eyebrow at Darryl. "That sounded like Drew."
The green-haired woman shrugged and tossed her apron on an empty chair. "Let's go see what my twins have done to my brother this time."
At six, the twins were the oldest of the younger generation. However, they were proving to be the opposite of a good influence on the other children.
Drew was sprawled on the ground, covered head to toe in tinsel. Christie sat nearby comforting Zachary, who had been startled from his nap. Wally plopped down next to her and their eldest, Joyce tackled him from behind. Max and Tiffany were trying to help Drew untangle himself while struggling futilely to keep a straight face. Bernard was nowhere to be seen. A little while later, he returned with a giggling child tucked under each arm. In short, it was mayhem.
May glanced around. "Where's Michelle?"
Drew sighed, finally extracting himself from the evil clutches of tinsel. "Better find her before she gets into trouble as well."
"You two go look for her. We'll settle this mess," Wally waved them off.
They found their five-year-old daughter in the kitchen, balancing precociously on a stool. Her right hand made a swipe at the plate of cookies on the table but missed. Determined, she tried again, this time got hold of the edge of the plate. Suddenly, the stool tilted too much.
Drew quickly caught his daughter and lifted her up while May saved the cookies. Caught red-handed, Michelle could only grin sheepishly at her parents.
"What did we tell you about stealing cookies, Michelle?" Drew asked sternly.
The little green-haired girl with bright blue eyes twiddled her thumbs guiltily. "I have to ask first." She glanced up at her mother. "Can I have one?" she asked hopefully, not forgetting her goal.
Her parents couldn't help but smile. "Alright, just one." May picked up the plate and allowed Michelle to choose one. The little girl nibbled it happily.
May gave her a pointed look. "Fankuu," Michelle said through a mouthful of chocolate cookie.
One moment later, the other children also clamored around May. Joyce pulled her little brother Zachary by the hand. May started handing out the cookies.
"These two don't deserve treats," said Drew, poking the twins playfully.
The twins ignored him and gave May identical innocent looks. She laughed and handed them a cookie each. They scampered off happily.
"You spoil them too much, May," said Darryl with mild reproof. She and Christie had returned to the kitchen. Drew left to continue with the decorations. A short while later, they heard another crash, followed by muffled oaths. The ladies glanced at each other in exasperation.
"At this rate, nothing is going to get done."
"Be good, and we'll bring all of you sledding later, alright?"
They left the excited children with Tiffany and Max, who lead them out to the gardens while the adults finished the Christmas preparations.
Darryl grinned irrepressibly. "I sense something budding over there."
Christie raised an eyebrow, but her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Max and Tiffany? I could never have guessed," she said with a wink.
May laughed. "You two are incorrigible. Not that I have anything against it, of course," she added with a wink, joining in the fun.
"Well," said Darryl after they finished. "Let's go watch the lovebirds in action, shall we? Though they won't be the only pair." She shot her friends a playful glance.
"Oh, are you talking about you and Bernard?" said Christie with an innocent air, immediately catching onto the game. Their banter continued as they set out to find the children.
"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way! Oh what fun, it is to ride, on a one-horse open sleigh, hey!" Early in the journey uphill, the children had started belting out Christmas carols.
Bernard, who was pulling the children's sled, shot the other adults a woeful look. "Now I'm being compared to a horse!"
Everyone laughed. "You'll do very nicely as a bay," supplied Drew, which set everyone off again. In a gesture that was a blatant imitation of Drew, Bernard flipped his brown hair.
Later in the day, everyone was happily exhausted. That is, everyone except the children, who were still cheerfully constructing a snowman.
Smiling, Drew and May sat down together in the shade of a tree. Drew put his arm around May's waist, and she leaned her head against his shoulder.
"Another year has passed," commented Drew as they watched the children running about.
"Feeling old?" May teased.
"Never," Drew answered with a smirk, leaning in to kiss his wife. Several hoots from their friends interrupted them.
"Get a room!" Wally hollered cheerfully.
Drew threw a snowball at his head. Laughing, Christie took revenge for Wally. Drew dodged Christie's missile, but was hit by another from the side.
"Dari, you traitor!" he protested as a second snowball whizzed towards him.
"Snowball fight!" Al cried out. The children heartily yelled their battle cry and joined into the fray. Chaos ensued.
That night, May and Drew tucked Michelle into bed.
"But it's Christmas Eve..." the little girl protested, but a yawn gave her away.
"So it is, and tomorrow is Christmas. Sleep now and you'll be full of energy tomorrow, okay?"
"M'kay," Michelle said, burrowing under her blanket. She suddenly got up again. "Will Santa Claus come?"
"Of course he'll come, dearest. But only if you're sound asleep. Goodnight, Millie," said May, giving their daughter a kiss.
"Goodnight!"
Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
All the stockings were hung by the chimney with care
In the hope that Saint Nicholas soon would be there.
Then, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
A miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer,
A little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be Saint Nick.
And more rapid than eagles his reindeer all came
As he shouted, "Oh Dasher" and each reindeer's name.
And so up to the housetop the reindeer soon flew
With the sleigh full of toys and Saint Nicholas, too.
Down the chimney he came with a leap and a bound;
He was dressed all in fur, and his belly was round.
He spoke not a word but went straight to this work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
Then giving a nod up the chimney he rose.
But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight,
"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"
Review! I would love to know what you think of this new timeline. I wanted a change for the usual plots, but if you would prefer to see teenage-contestshipping, it's fine with me. I'll revert back in my next fic. Remember, review! ^_^
Merry Christmas!