A Christmas Carol
A/N this was supposed to be a proper story but I have had next to no time to write it fully so unfortunately I have had to cut some pieces out and make it a one shot. This idea was just something I played around with - it's quite dark in parts (warning) also can I just say I don't know how close this actually sticks to a Christmas carol coz I last seen it when I was a young teenager and I'm 22 now sooooooo…. Anyways hope you enjoy :D
(X)
"Dammit Danny this is our home and you are talking about leaving it!" Dupe fumed.
Danny stood at the door of his hotel bag in hand, he had put up with this enough, it was time to go home. "Dupe." he said calmly. "Christmas is a few days away, Alice is ready to give birth. I need to get home to her! I can't miss the birth of my child Dupe. Not only that but Christmas is a time for family Dupe! Why don't you come?" he knew asking that was like holding a flame to a cannon fuse but he had to try.
"I can't have Christmas unless I am at Leopards Den! Every year I went home to celebrate it." Every Christmas except one…..
"Dupe." Danny breathed,
"I refuse to celebrate until we get our home back!"
"Dupe we have been fighting for months! We can't keep doing this. Money and time is running out!"
"It shouldn't be about money!" Dupe seethed.
"I have a family to support!" Danny retorted. "I can't keep on this crusade because it keeps me away from them for far too long. I am a husband and father Dupe!"
"I'm a husband too."
"Think about Caroline then!"
"I am I'm getting our home back for her. I thought you were too."
Danny shook his head. "Come to the UK Dupe. You'll like it!"
"It's cold, it's crowded and it's not Leopards Den! I need you here!"
"Don't make me choose Dupe. I'm sorry but you'll lose."
"That's it then?" Dupe challenged.
"Dupe don't be like this." Danny asked softly.
"Is that where you stand?" Dupe said coldly.
Danny rubbed his face, this was why he had put off telling Dupe he was going home, that and he might have persuaded him to stay.
"Go then!"
"Dupe." Danny said wearily.
"Just go! And don't come back! I thought you loved this place as much as I did. I was wrong!"
Danny looked at him for a second then shook his head and then walked out of the hotel.
Dupe picked up his glass and threw it across the room.
(X)
Dupe had went home to Leopards Den. It didn't much feel like home at the moment, it was cold and dark and quiet. He sat on the darkened veranda. Ok yeah he was trespassing but he didn't care.
He had spent one Christmas away from here…..he took a drink of his whiskey. It burned his throat on the way down.
As far as he was concerned that Christmas had never happened.
Except it had and it hurt...
He downed more whiskey...
His father... his father...
He closed his eyes, drained the rest of the bottle...
His father had been all alone...
He threw the bottle across the veranda and it shattered.
Now he was the same, history repeating itself. NO history wasn't going to repeat itself. His dad had saved Leopards Den and he could too. He was as strong as his father. As brave. As clever. He'd do this single handed. He didn't need any help!
The doubts lingered, he was a poor imitation, a let down. Nothing like his father.
"Yes Anders son," his fathers voice said. "You wanted to go away to war. Look what happened then! Now it seems you are getting your wish. You are losing your home. You have no where now!"
"NO!" Dupe roared stomped into the house.
"All the rooms are empty Anders, like that Christmas that you weren't here!" his father spat nastily.
"I tried to get home!" he yelled into the air.
"Liar!"
"I did!" Dupe cried.
"You didn't want this place then and are only trying to hold onto now out of guilt. Well Anders I will never forgive you…..."
Dupe ran from the house as fast as he could, trying to escape his fathers taunting voice. He reached the top stair but mis-timed it. His foot slipped and he fell, felt air whooshing past him. He impacted the step and pain shot through his skull. He rolled, felt blood running down his face. He blinked.
"Danny." he moaned. "I need you." he inhaled deeply. "DANNY!"
It was then he remembered he was alone, unable to move, unconsciousness taking him. His eyes rolled into the back of his head. History WAS repeating itself was his last thought.
(X)
Dupe opened his eyes and saw the dark was falling on Leopards Den. All was quiet. He lay a moment getting his bearings.
"God dammit!" he moaned he sat up. God he was lucky to be alive. That fall could of killed him! He lifted his hand to run it through his hair. His hand disappeared through his head. He yelped in shock, stared at his hand. Ok that was all there so the only other option was that half of his head was missing. He hadn't hit the floor that hard had he? You know Trevanion sometimes joked he was brainless but this was taking the mick! He patted at the place his head should have been and found only air.
Lower.
Nothing.
Even lower...
His hand was at his stomach when he looked down and saw his hand inside his body. "Whoa!" he yelled removing it. Ok this isn't normal!
"Ok Anders." he told himself out loud. "Your drunk, once you wake up you'll be fine." he sat round and waited for something to happen, but nothing did. He looked behind him and saw his body lying still in the ground.
"Oh my God!" he jumped up. "What are you doing down there?" went down on his knees. "Wake up!" he yelled at himself. "I'm telling you to wake up!"
"Du Plessis." a woman said dryly.
Dupe looked up. "Nomsa?"
Nomsa stood there wearing a black cape and hood.
"What's up with the dodgy clothes?" he asked.
"Got to look the part." she replied.
"Is that really me?" he pointed to his unconcious body.
Nomsa nodded.
"I'm not really that fat!" he muttered.
"Trust you to ignore the issue at hand."
"There is no issue!" he growled.
"So you wake up as a ghost often?"
"I often wake up feeling like death warmed up."
"We're talking literally old man!"
"Enough of the old…wait a minute, you mean I'm…."
Nomsa nodded.
Dupe thought. "If I am dead what the hell are you doing here? As far as I know Nomsa is alive and well and cooking up trouble."
She shrugged.
"Not much help are we?" he groused.
"Now you know what we lived with."
"Ah I see you have a sense of humour." he stood up. "Whoever you are." he looked at his house, then his prone body. "Danny shouldn't have left, if he hadn't then this wouldn't have happened!"
Nomsa fixed him with an unblinking stare. "Danny had every right to leave. He has his priorities in the right order! I am here to correct yours!"
Dupe exhaled. "Where is Elizabeth if I'm dead?"
"You will see the error of your ways Du Plessis!"
"Go away Nomsa, I'm dreaming not dead!"
The sky turned dark and the clouds swirled above him angrily. "You will have visitors, people you should know very well…..should! If that doesn't change you then….."
"What is this? Like that film? Ghosts are gonna change my life?" he scoffed. "Real imaginative…." he stalked towards the house. The second he walked through the door everything changed. Time itself seemed to rewind around him until suddenly it stopped.
Dupe stood there open mouthed. Ok this was weird. He was stood in the hallway at Leopards den, not the one he remembered though….except he did remember this, long ago! He looked behind him and saw Nomsa was gone.
"Ok Nom you had your fun!" he called.
He heard voices coming from the living room. His curiosity got the better of him and he walked in saw his dad flicking channels on the TV and listening to the radio.
"Dad?" he whispered and gulped.
"Yes son." a voice from behind him replied.
Dupe spun. "What is this?" he whispered breathing audibly.
"This is that one Christmas you didn't come home for."
Dupe looked away.
"Ignoring it doesn't change that it happened Anders!"
"What are you doing?" Dupe spat trying to build up anger so his emotions wouldn't show.
"Back then? I was worried about you. I just wanted to know what you were ok. It was Christmas day."
"You told me you didn't care!"
"C'MON!" his dad in 'real' life said "Just give me some news, anything!"
"I found out that the area you were in there had been fighting, bad fighting. You are my son Anders of course I…..just because I didn't say the words, couldn't say them doesn't mean I felt nothing for you."
Anders shrugged, perturbed by the fact his dad was discussing feelings. Felt dread in his stomach. "I know what happens next…..I don't want to see this!"
"It doesn't matter if you do or don't!"
Dupe walked towards the door and it bricked up magically, eliminating his escape.
"I said NO!" Dupe raged.
"You need to see this!" his dad replied.
"Unfortunately there has been a report of zero survivors…." the TV droned.
Dupe closed his eyes.
"Watch this!" his dad commanded.
Dupe could see what was happening on his eyelids, there was no escape.
"Anders!" his dad's anguished cry. "Not my boy!"
Dupe covered his ears.
"An….." his dad inhaled sharply.
"No!" Dupe yelled and ran for a window. They were impenetrable.
"ah….uh…urg." his dad was clutching his chest his face contorted with pain.
His dream dad grabbed him and pushed him towards his 'real' dad. "Look at him!"
Dupe's eyes opened. He fell to his knees staring at his father. Watched him struggling, unable to help him, unable to look away. Unable to do anything. Tears streamed from his eyes.
"You could have spared him!"
Dupe nodded.
"That is YOU!" his dad hissed. "In 20 years time. Don't do what I did! I pushed everyone I loved away from me. I became focused on this place, forgot that it is just a building! A home is the people your with! I tried that hard to make you stay that you had to get away from me. I made you hate this place for a little while, I won't let the same thing happen to you."
Dupe continued to stare at his father while the life was leaving his body.
"Anders." he squeaked. "I love you."
Dupe clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. Wrapped his arms around his head. "NO!" he screamed. "NO NO NO!"
(X)
Dupe knelt there for the longest time still clutching his head.
"I'm sorry dad, I should have got here." he raised his head. Found himself in the Leopards Den sitting room, but not in his dad's time. It was empty and he was knelt on a dusty floor. He ran his hands through his hair and found they were shaking.
"It was just a dream." he stood up and walked from the living room. Walked straight into Fatani, well straight through Fatani!
Fatani screamed and Dupe yelped.
"Fatani you gave me the fright of my life!"
"You?" Fatani declared what about me? I don't even know what I'm doing here or how I got here!"
Dupe frowned. "Were you drinking before you got here?"
"No, me and Buthle were….it was just getting to the good bit!"
"Too much info!" Dupe replied dryly.
Fatani exhaled.
"It seems that you are the ghost of Christmas present then." Dupe drawled.
"Ghost? You mean I'm dead?" Fatani squeaked.
"No I am."
"Your dead?" Fatani suddenly burst into tears.
"Ach man don't be daft!" Dupe told him.
"My bar! How am I supposed to survive without you?"
Dupe made a face. "Look there is a reason you're here. Your supposed to show me something."
Fatani thought back to what he and Buthle had been doing before he arrived there and put his hands across his trousers. He stepped away from Dupe eyes wide.
"Not that man!" Dupe declared.
Fatani exhaled in relief.
"Fatani seriously sometimes you scare me!"
They stood there. "Well?" Dupe asked. "Depart wisdom…..God look who I'm talking to!"
Fatani gave him the finger.
All of a sudden Danny stomped up the veranda followed by the real Dupe.
"Why did I let you talk me into staying here?" Danny raged. "She gave birth to my child Dupe and I missed it! Now I'm stranded here on Christmas day with you!"
"Danny this isn't my fault!"
"Yes it is! You care about nothing but yourself! MY baby Dupe! MY wife and children are in the UK and I'm not! God I'm gonna miss my baby's first Christmas!"
"Danny…."
"Don't Dupe!"
"Look Alice rang and said she understood. What's the problem?"
"What's the problem?" Danny squeaked face contorted. "You're the problem! And of course Alice said she understood she had no other choice in the matter did she? You heard fine, I heard tears!"
Both Dupe's paled, Danny had never lost it like this before, not even when he stopped him getting on the plane 3 months ago!
"Everything you do is for you! This is IT Du Plessis I have hit my LIMIT! I'm washing my hands of you right now! Stay the hell away from me and my family OK!"
Danny stomped out.
"That's ok by me!" Dupe replied.
Dupe and Fatani watched this interplay.
"Well that was an overreaction!" Dupe said seriously.
Fatani looked at him. "No it wasn't, it was the birth of his kid!"
"Did he really want to be there? All that screaming and blood."
"Its his child Dupe! You don't understand! For 9 months you wait to meet this perfect little person and he missed the most important part of it's life so far, and he is still missing it coz all you do is lie to him….and I help you!" Fatani's voice was full of self derision. "What about Alice too? She didn't make that child without her husband but she had to deliver it without him, why? Coz he was halfway across the world away from her when she needed him to hold her hand. Just to be there!" Fatani's voice was passion filled.
Dupe was starting to be consumed by guilt.
"This is what would have happened if Danny had stayed!" Fatani finally said. "You died instead, either way you lose. For what? This." Fatani motioned around. "This empty house. Family makes a home Dupe, and I'm going home to mine!"
Fatani finally disappeared leaving Dupe alone. What was he doing to his family?
(X)
Dupe sat in the living room for what felt like an age. He blinked and once again the house was different.
"No more." he whispered.
Then he realised that there were boxes piled high and furniture was covered by white cloth.
"Someone's moving into my house?" he whispered. "Over my dead body!" His previous guilt forgot he was ready to get rid of these unwelcome guests.
A young pretty woman walked inside she looked to be about twenty. She looked vaguely familiar to Dupe.
"Can't believe I'm finally here." she whispered.
He recognised that voice it sounded like Alice. But no, the eyes, she had Trevanion's eyes. Oh my god! She was a mixture of Danny and Alice.
"Is the electrics on Dani?" a man shouted.
"Nope." she replied after flicking a switch.
A 6 foot tall man walked in.
Dupe's jaw dropped. "Trevanion?" he whispered. This man was his clone!
"C'mon Connor."
Connor? Dupe wondered.
"Liv Evan and Charlie get here tomorrow." Dani said. "Not that that is anything to look forward to!"
Connor and Dani walked into the study. "They're excited to be home."
Dani looked at Connor. "This place isn't home to me, I don't know this place."
Connor nodded. "Dunno why they like it, can understand why Dad won't step foot here."
"Can't blame him. It was this place that drove mum apart. The divorce was hard on both of them, and us. Home hasn't felt like home in so long. Rosie says mum and dad weren't the same after your birth. Then I came along and they fell apart. Mum just felt that dad loved me and Rosie more than you and Charlie coz he wasn't there at the very beginning - or that was her excuse." Dani muttered bitterly.
Connor exhaled. "It' s a shame coz they both still love the other, even now."
"Too much water under the bridge, if I'm being honest I hate this place! If this place wasn't here then mum and dad would have stayed together and we'd have seen dad more than over the weekend. I felt like I don't even know him and I hate it!"
"Lay the blame where it belongs Dani!" Connor told her.
"Anders Du Plessis!" they growled.
Dupe gasped, they spun and looked at him. His ghosts of Christmas future.
"You ruined your family!" They spat at him. "You ruined OUR family!"
"That was never meant to happen!" he told them. "I wanted this place back for you!"
"NO, you wanted it back for you! Admit it! What dad wanted never even came into it!"
"That's not true." Dupe replied. "Look get your mother and father here I'll fix them. I got them together I can do this!" Dupe promised.
"Fix it how? You didn't see the divorce. Both of them went for sole custody to hurt the other. Mud slinging in court both trying to win! Do you know what that did to us? Charlie doesn't speak to Danny, Rosie doesn't speak to Alice. You broke us ALL! What annoys us is that Liv, Evan and Rosie won't have one wrong word said about you! Charlie blanks you, she gets upset. We know better!"
"How you don't know me!"
"You sat in this house all alone. No one around you while our family imploded! You could have helped, except you chose to die in your chair alone! Dad and mum were starting to get close again, we thought they were gonna reconcile, you willed this place to them which started all the arguing again! They signed it over to us and haven't spoke since! We've decided that we're gonna knock this place down and sell the land. It has caused enough damage in our lives! We don't want any reminders of this place….or you!"
"NO!" he yelled. "You can't! I won! I fought too hard to keep this place. I lost too much to lose it now!"
Dupe's head began to spin and he was suddenly outside.
Rosie Evan and Liv stood at the veranda stairs, a bulldozer stood idling. Charlie, Dani and Connor stood beside it.
"Move!" Connor demanded.
"You'll have to go through us!" Evan said stubbornly.
"If it comes down to it Ev…."
"Try it!" he hissed.
Dani put her hand on Connor's arm.
A car pulled up. Danny and Alice got out of it.
Connor and Dani looked hopeful, until they realised their parents wouldn't even look at each other. They looked at the house darkly.
"C'mon kids." Alice coaxed softly.
Rosie glared at Alice.
"Don't look at my mum like that!" Charlie warned.
"Make me!" Rosie replied. "I can do what I want!"
"ALL this is your dad's fault!" Charlie took a step towards her.
"Really? I think your mum started this trying to make his kids pick her over him! Why else would she say he didn't love Connor?"
"I never said he didn't love Connor!" Alice spoke up.
"Yes you did." Danny retorted.
"Erm no I didn't!" Alice finally looked at him.
"Oh no, you just said I loved the other more important kids more!" he said sarcastically.
Alice inhaled sharply. "I said that once and that was in heat of an argument. I didn't mean it!"
"Yeah well you said it!"
"What about the stuff that you said?" she spat. "Trying to tell the court I was an unfit mother!"
"No that was my solicitor and I fired him as soon as I found out what he was trying to do! Your the best mother I've ever seen Alice I tell you often enough so don't even dare bring that up!"
Danny and Alice were face to face glaring at each other.
"C'mon Rosie Charlie you don't have to pick sides." Liv pleaded, sick of the arguing.
"Can't the fighting just stop?" Evan added.
"Yeah it'll stop when she gets out of my face!" Rosie spat.
"Rosie Charlie is your little sister." Liv told her.
"NO she is nothing to me!"
"She is family!" Alice said through clenched teeth.
"Family? You have got a cheek saying that and don't talk to me!" Rosie seethed.
"Rosie don't speak to Alice like that!" Danny told her.
"Oh so it's wrong now but she could say what she liked when we were married."
"I brought my daughter up to be polite to strangers, coz you are NOT the woman I fell for. And as for talking in certain ways how about the way Charlie spoke to me? But I had to put up with it coz I wasn't her dad and couldn't tell her off!"
Suddenly Danny Alice Rosie and Charlie were all arguing, Liv and Evan were trying to stop it.
Dani and Connor approached Dupe. "See what you done?"
"Look please stop this! I'll do anything I can't watch anymore!" Dupe covered his face with his hands. The arguing swirled around him.
"Have you learned yet?" Nomsa asked, the people still arguing in the background.
Dupe looked up at her his face pale. Nodded as words had escaped him.
"You WILL get this place back, losing your family is a steep price. Work with them not against them."
"Please let me go home. I need to go home."
(X)
Danny sat with Alice in Georgina's house. Alice held their newborn son.
"Still can't believe that I went into labour as soon as you got off the plane!"
Danny leant over and kissed her. "I'm sorry I was away for so long."
Alice got up and laid Robbie in his Moses basket. Out her hand on his chest as he gristled. He settled, she touched his face gently and smiled at him.
"You sure about his name?"
Alice nodded and approached him.
"We could name him Rowan."
"That name has to be left for my brother." she smiled. "No, I like Robert Daniel." she snuggled into his side, the lights were dim, a log fire crackled in front of them, the Christmas tree cast multicoloured lights around the room.
Liv and Thabo walked in. Charlie had finally put her 3DS down. She went straight to the moses basket.
"He just went down sweetheart." Danny told her.
She sat down next to him and he put his free arm around her. Kissed the top of her head.
"Where's Rosie and Max?" Alice asked.
"Rax are upstairs and you don't wanna know!" Liv said smiling.
"Rax?" Danny and Alice chorused.
"We're all paired off so we have nicknames now. Me and Thabo are Livbo." looked at Thabo. "We're so cute. Rosie and Max are Rax and you and Danny are Danice."
Danny and Alice laughed. "I like it." Alice murmured.
"Fatani and Buthle are Buthanti. And Gran and Dupe are Cupe."
Danny looked into the flames at the mention of Dupe's name.
"It's Christmas day and he's alone out there." Liv whispered sadly. Thabo hugged her.
"Danny tried to convince him to come here." Alice told her.
"Hope he's ok." Charlie whispered. "Don't want him to be alone and scared, not today."
"He'll be fine sweetie." Alice promised.
Charlie exhaled. "Then why isn't he picking up the phone?"
"He's a busy man."
"But every time I left a message before he always called back, and now he hasn't!"
Danny frowned, starting to worry. "Alice I…."
A doorbell split the air.
Alice stood up. "I'll get it."
A man in a black suit walked passed the living room.
"I keep forgetting she has a butler!" Alice muttered and snuggled back into her husband side.
(X)
Dupe was in turmoil. From the moment he opened his eyes and found himself looking at the ceiling on the veranda he knew he had to get home. That was after he ascertained he was in fact still alive! As soon as he had proved to himself that was true he had dived into a truck and got going.
Now he was in England and absolutely freezing! He could have planned this better and brought clothes. The only thing he had was a big bag full of presents. He'd had to get here though! England wasn't home but the Trevanion's were. Leopards Den as much as he loved it was just a place. He called a taxi.
"Georgina's house." he told the driver as he climbed inside.
The taxi driver stared at him. "I need a address mate."
Dupe frowned at him, then realised that London was a big place. He gave the taxi driver the address Caroline had made him memorise so he could write to her. As he got there he saw her house.
"That's thirty seven pound mate."
Dupe looked at the notes and coins in his hands. Stupid English money! He handed him two twenties. "Is that enough?"
The taxi driver nodded handed him his change. He walked up to the house, passed double gates and knocked on the front door.
The door opened and a man in black opened the door.
"Hello sir?"
"I am Anders Du Plessis. Georgina's brother in law."
"Ah yes, Caroline's husband. This way."
Dupe sailed passed him towards a dimly lit room. Saw everyone he loved sat there. Charlie noticed him first and turned the lamp on.
"Dupe!" she screamed, pulled from Danny's embrace and ran to him. He caught her in mid air and hugged her. "Merry Christmas monkey."
Liv got up and hugged him too. "I've missed you Dupe."
"I missed you too Livvie." kissed his cheek. Shook Thabo's hand. "Your visa came though?"
Thabo nodded.
Caroline and Georgina appeared. Dupe took his wife in his arms and kissed her soundly.
"Anders." she whispered. "You're here?"
"I'm here, whoever you are is my home." he vowed.
"Anders is here?" Georgina questioned dryly.
God Dupe had never thought he'd be relieved to hear the old battle axe's voice. He walked towards her and hugged her. "Merry Christmas Georgie!"
Everyone looked at Dupe stunned.
"He hugged me!" she squealed.
"He's a changed men!" Thabo murmured.
Danny and Alice got up and walked across. Dupe looked at Danny.
"Look Dupe…."
"No Danny, you were right. You were all right. You're my home, not bricks."
Alice smiled.
Dupe extended his hand, Danny took it. Dupe pulled him close for a hug. Patted his back. "Merry Christmas." they said softly. Pulled away.
Alice had tears in her eyes.
"C'mere Alice, if I can get my arms around…." his jaw dropped. "You had him?"
"If you mean did I have the baby yes I had him." Alice replied. "How do you it was a boy?"
Dupe shrugged. "Good guess. Trevanion was due a boy." his heart plummeted as he thought of how the future looked when Danny missed the birth last time! "Did you miss it?" he asked Danny. "Look Alice it's my fault you can't hold it against him Alice blame me!"
"Dupe I didn't miss it!" Danny told him.
Dupe exhaled. "Thank God! Where is he?"
Alice took Dupe over to the moses basket. "He looks just like Co…." he trailed off.
"Like Danny?" Alice supplied.
Dupe sighed and looked at her. "Yeah. Can I hold him?"
Danny walked over and picked him up tenderly. Placed him in Dupe's arms. "Robbie meet uncle Dupe."
Dupe got a lump in his throat and fought to clear it. "Hey kids, there's a bag with presents in the hallway."
Liv Thabo and Charlie ran off. "Rosie Dupe's here." Liv yelled.
They heard a door slam, feet pounding down stairs.
"5,4,3,2,1" Danny murmured.
Rosie appeared at the door "Dupe?"
Alice took the baby. "Rosie." he said smiling at her. She ran to him and hugged him tightly.
Max walked in looking dishevelled. "You pick your time Dupe!" he groused, then shook his hand.
Dupe laughed.
Liv and Thabo walked in arms laden with gifts, Charlie danced around their legs. Dupe handed them out. Paper was torn there were squeals of glee. Dupe sat on a chair surrounded by it all. Smiled. Now he was home…actually….
"Trevanion when are we going for that pint of bitter you promised me?"
A/N sorry if it felt rushed at the end but i was sick of my life wi typing, it's like 5700 words long! Next year i am hopefully gonna write the full version, bt that is a year away lol
I have another one shot planned i will get it up before new year, another christmas one bt more in keeping with the series, i just haven't finished writing it yet :/
Anyway to everyone who read my stories. 'Merry Xmas and a happy new year' and hopefully a very good writing year lol x