Kong Li Christmas : A Sue story
By Crystalquirt
Tobue. Kong Li messes up Christmas by trying to take Sue out of the celebration for good. Scary situations, violence. Action, Romance, Angst, yes.
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"Sid, let me go with you."
"No Tobey. It's just one delivery. Stay here and help Nana and Sue decorate the tree. Just don't eat all the wontons! Mr. Wu will count how many you've put on the tree." Tobey followed Sid out the front door to his bike. Sid put his helmet on his head and fastened the chin strap.
"That's dumb, why would anyone want to waste perfectly good wontons on a Christmas tree? I wanted to string popcorn and use bright red and gold ball ornaments! OH! And tinsel – lots and lots of tinsel!" Tobey was way too excited and Sid just couldn't get into it with him.
"You know Mr. Wu, he thinks wontons are artistic and he only decorates at all to try to please the customers. Just be glad he doesn't think using shrimp would be artistic – and don't make him so mad he stays open on Christmas day again! I don't want to work on Christmas this year."
"Yeah, very few people want 'take out food' on Christmas day. The tips really sucked last year, but Mr. Wu could get mad without any help from me you know! I can't promise anything Sid."
"Fine, just stay as far away from him as you can." Sid straddled his bike and pushed off.
Sid didn't feel like tree decorating, and knew Sue didn't either, but Nana had asked for their help. He didn't even care really about having Christmas day off, but any day off from school and making deliveries was a good day off. He was so relieved when Barney asked him to take the delivery Sid was determined to not let Tobey or Sue think for a second that he was going to let one of them do it. Besides, Tobey had been looking forward to decorating for months so it was only right that he should stay and help. With the bag hanging from the handlebars, he headed down the empty sidewalk for a ways before drifting off the curb into the street.
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Tobey went back to helping Nana and Sue with the tree, happy to be doing what ever Christmas related task he could do. He really liked this time of year, now that he had a family to share it with. He found Christmas in the orphanage was always very depressing even with Sid and Sue there, they were depressed too and really brought him down.
For some reason this year again, Sue and Sid both seemed down and he noticed right away, even before Nana did. Sue was even more depressed and grumpy than Sid was this year. Right then Tobey plugged in more Christmas lights and blew a fuse.
"Tobey, what is wrong with you? You know this building's old and the circuits can't take the load! Try to pay more attention than a moth would." Sue stomped her feet and he was pretty sure he saw smoke coming out of her ears. He sighed and went to reset the fuse and the surge protector only this time he ran another heavy extension cord from a plug behind the cash register to share the load. He remembered from decorating for Halloween that the cash register was on a different circuit. While he worked Tobey was singing softly,
"Grandma got run over by a reindeer . . ."
After the second time through one of his favorite songs, he started singing again for a third round and Nana glared at him. He looked embarrassed and changed to a spiritually uplifting rendition of,
"I brought these gifts for you - they're up in my bum . . ."
Sue was mad again. "Tobey! I don't think Peter from 'Family Guy' was singing it right! Can't we just have some silence?" irritation was obvious in Sue's voice.
Tobey whined, "Come on Sue – get in the spirit, sing with me!" he took a deep breath and sang to the tune of, 'I'll be Home for Christmas',
"'I'll be Cloned for Christmas, There'll be three of me . . .'"
Sue screamed angrily and ran out to the garden. She went all the way out to the corner farthest from the door. In one graceful leap she jumped up a little over eight feet onto one of the ramps that made up their obstacle course. She sat down cross-legged on the narrow plank and fell apart. She sobbed into her hands and didn't even know why, or perhaps was afraid to admit why.
Nana nodded when Tobey looked at her, his eyes begging for permission to go after Sue. Once he got to the garden, Tobey saw her sitting well above the ground in the corner, facing the wall. He approached slowly and saw her back shaking as she tried to choke back tears.
Speaking softly, trying not to scare her he asked, "Sue? What's wrong?"
"Go away."
"I promise not to sing anymore."
"It's okay Tobey, your singing isn't that bad." She rolled her eyes and tried to stop crying, embarrassed that Tobey caught her.
"Well then what's wrong." Tobey jumped up and sat across from her on the other plank. She turned away from him. "I don't know, I just feel so sad."
"Well, what do you say to yourself that makes you feel sad?"
Sue looked at Tobey, thinking that was an interesting question. "I tell myself that I can't relax and enjoy the holidays! If I do, we might miss some clue about what Kong Li might be planning."
"But Sue, it isn't all up to you. Nana is always diligent, even when it seems like she isn't even thinking about Kong Li. If he was up to something magical, she would know and me and Sid are here too – you don't have to take all the responsibility!"
"But Tobey! I know if I let myself relax and enjoy Christmas, or anything too much, Kong Li will do something to ruin it. Tobey, do you think we will ever win this and be able to relax?"
"Of course Sue, this can't go on forever. It's Mr. Wu's yelling that might go on forever. You need to relax sometimes, I'm worried about you. If you aren't training, you are studying magic with Nana. I think you've even lost weight."
"Why thanks Tobey."
"I didn't mean it as a good thing, you were perfect like you were. Now I can see your bones."
Sue looked away from him for a second and changed the subject back to Mr. Wu. "That's right Tobey! Mr. Wu has been awful! He threw away the decorations I made that were drying on a rack in the kitchen. He told me they smelled funny and he didn't want them in his restaurant making the customer's sick."
"Well, Mr. Wu has always been nasty. I mean, he has no regard for any one else's feelings. He even said I stink."
Sue smiled and wiped her eyes.
Tobey added, "I'll help you make more decorations. I would love some in my room."
"Sid probably wouldn't like them, he is the original Grinch and Scrooge rolled into one."
"Well, Sid will have to fight ME to take them down."
"Thanks Tobey." Sue and leaned across to give Tobey's hand a squeeze. But instead she lost her balance and fell! She yelled and suddenly found herself lying across Tobey's arms, standing below the planks where they had been sitting.
Sue stared into his eyes for a moment seeing how warm and wonderful he was. "WOW! Thanks again Tobey, but how did you. . . ?"
"I would do anything to keep you from getting hurt, Sue." He let her legs down, but kept his arm around her shoulder's until he was sure she was okay to stand. He blushed three shades of red when she grabbed him and hugged him like she was trying to hug the stuffing out of him. Not being able to breathe was a small price to pay for a hug from Sue.
The other times Sue hugged him, he stood there like a rag doll, afraid to even move thinking it might end. This time though, he carefully put his arms around her to return her hug. He was still afraid at first she would pull away, but she didn't. She put her head on his shoulder and he could feel her pull him tightly into her chest.
"You are a great friend Tobey." They were both blushing a little when they went back in and got back to decorating.
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Tobey continued . . .
