Here's that Christmas fic I promised on Twitter way back in October! Well...It's not really a fanfic. It's an original short story based on one of my friends [the names are obviously different]. The girl in the cover is Karen Gillan [she's awesome].
I actually didn't wanna post this until the 10th, but I'm in a super Christmas-y mood, rn! Hope all you guys enjoy this one-shot Christmas story!
Why do people like Christmas? It's just a bunch of selfish people expecting what they want and - most likely - know they're going to get. I mean, it's about giving and not getting, right? That's what I've been taught, anyway... And the songs they play every year! I Wish is Could be Christmas, Last Christmas, All I Want for Christmas...Ugh, give me a break! Every year is such a fucking drag in December. Not even Doctor Who can cheer me up on this dreadful day anymore!
Long story short - Christmas can suck a big bag of dicks.
Suddenly, I was brought out of my 'hatred circle' by my mother's cheerful voice.
"What movie do you want to watch this year?" I shot a glance at my younger brother.
"If you say Frozen, I will throw you down the stairs," I snarled. Tears pricked at Joshua's eyes as he stared right at me with those annoying 'about to cry' eyes. "You know that look doesn't work on me, peabrain." I flicked his forehead and he flopped backwards.
"You're a meanie, Viola!" he cried, cuddling up to my mother.
"Dude, grow up - you're nearly six." Slumping back into the armchair I was currently sitting in, I dumped the book that I was reading - Great Expectations - on my face and breathed an audible exasperated sigh.
"You didn't answer my question, Vi," Mother said sternly as she shushed Joshua.
"I dunno," I grumbled. "Nativity 2," I finally said.
"You only want to watch that because it has David Tennant in it," Dean said as he took the book off of my face. He smiled down at me with a cup of tea clenched in his hand.
"Is there any other reason?" I asked jokily, sitting up and taking the mug from my brother.
"How about we watch A Christmas Carol - the Jim Carrey one?" Dean suggested, taking a seat on the arm of my chair.
"No, too scary, Deano!" Joshua yelled out, nuzzling into Mother's chest.
"The name's Dean, smartass," he groaned.
"Is Dad coming this year?" I questioned out of nowhere and all eyes were suddenly drawn to me. No one said a word. It felt as though an eternity passed before someone actually spoke.
"I don't know." That was Mother; she sounded solemn, and that made me frown.
Mum and Dad split up about four years ago in the summer. They said that cliché line 'I think we need to see other people'. It was all Mother's fault, anyway! She was cheating on Dad with some guy called Jeff. I hated him. Dad packed up and left in the middle of the night, while us kids were sleeping. Every year, however, he would promise to visit the family at Christmas time. Every year, he never showed up.
I missed him.
"Forget I asked," I commented, standing up from my seat and walking to my bedroom.
"Viola, honey," Mum said in an attempt to make me stay, but it didn't work. I heard Dean sigh and Joshua giggle mockingly as I made my way up the stairs.
My room was a hiding place of sorts. I always went there when I wanted to chill or be alone and listen to music - sometimes play it on my guitar. My walls aren't walls - they're posters. There's Doctor Who, a few celebrities and bands like Alexis Knapp, We Are The in Crowd, and David Tennant [obviously]. Photo frames are dotted all over, too. They're of me, family and my friends. My shelf was hanging above my computer desk, jam-packed with genres ranging from horror to teen-romance to manga. A stuffed Dalek Supreme was there, too. My bed was dressed in - yup, you guessed it - Doctor Who covers! Oh, and my maltese, Petal. She's a rescue.
I breathed out a sigh as I threw myself onto my bed, and Petal came up and licked my face.
"Hey, Petal," I said, stroking her soft, white fur. "Looks like we'll be having another fatherless Christmas this year." My dog's eyes grew wide and sorrowful, as if she was giving me a look of utter pity. "Hey, don't give me those eyes!" With a sudden change of attitude, Petal barked joyfully and practically pranced towards my stack of DVDs.
She nudged at one.
"You want to watch Love, Rosie again?" I said annoyingly. Yes, my dog likes cheesy chick-flicks. I like them, too, but they're just way too predictable. Like, two really close friends develop a bond, shit goes down, then gets better, and the end. Seriously, be creative with your films!
Petal looked at me with those big, adorable eyes again. It may not work when an irritating little brother does it, but a puppy as cute as Petal? It works wonders. Damn, she's too cute!
"Fine, if we must," I caved. About half an hour into it, I fell asleep.
I woke up towards the end of the movie to the sound of heavy dubstep coming from Dean's bedroom. It's honestly the worst noise ever - worse than nails on a chalkboard. Groaning, I rolled off of my bed and sluggishly walked towards the cause of the blearing 'music'.
Dean's room is your typical teenage boys' room: games consoles, a huge TV, a laptop, posters of half naked women - like Lily Aldridge - and one of the biggest stereos and speaker systems I've ever seen. Dean was there, making out vigorously with his girlfriend, Amber. In my opinion, they were using way too much tongue. I was thankful they didn't notice me.
I casually strolled over to the stereo and unplugged it; my ears were now safe. I heard a yelp of pain coming from Amber [I guess Dean bit her tongue].
"Vi, what the fuck?" Dean yelled rather furiously.
"Thank you," I uttered, walking out of the room and down the stairs. As I reached the bottom, Mother whispered an apology.
"Viola," she spoke up. I hummed a reply, slumping back into my chair. "We can watch Nativity 2."
"You think that will improve my mood?" I questioned, harsher than I meant it to be.
"A little bit," Mother said, a hint of hope laced into her words.
There was a long pause.
"Yeah, a little bit," I said, cracking a small, genuine smile. My face fell, though, as I thought of Dad again. Mother knew this.
"I'm sorry, sweetie," she said apologetically.
"Don't be - it isn't your fault," I lied, faking a smile. "What's for dinner?" I avoided the subject, gazing at the beautifully decorated Christmas tree absentmindedly.
"Whatever you want." Man, she's desperate! Her attempts to make me happy are truly pathetic.
"Can I have Connor Franta on a stick?" I joked.
"I think that's out of stock," Mum played along, letting out a tiny chuckle, despite not knowing who Connor Franta is.
"I'm sorry, Mum," I suddenly spoke up. "I shouldn't have shut you out." Mother's face grew more and more solemn with every word I spoke. "It's just, since Dad left-"
"I know, sweetie." I was caught off guard as my mum pulled me into a tight embrace for the first time in years. And there I was: a sixteen-year-old crying into my mum's arms like a little girl again.
She rubbed circles over my back, she shushed me soothingly, and she told me she loved me.
After some time, I eventually calmed down and my sobs transformed into whispers. Then it hit me.
It's Christmas Eve. How in the world of Equestria could I forget that?
"Shit," I uttered, gaining a stern look from Mum.
"Excuse me?" she asked with a single raised brow.
"Faeces," I stated with an innocent smile, and she hugged me again. Suddenly, a force pushed at my stomach and I was separated from my mum by a tuft of black hair.
"Joshie want a huggle, too!" he called and he pounced into Mother's arms with a childish giggle and a huge, ecstatic grin perched onto his face.
"I'll see you guys later," I said, standing up. "Imma go do some homework." Both Joshua and Mother looked at me as if I'd grown a pair of elf ears.
"Homework?" they said in unison.
"What, I need an education, too, y'know?" I cracked another smile - even I couldn't tell if it was genuine or not. Both family members shrugged and went back to their cuddling.
Of course I was lying about doing homework - when does Viola Stevens do homework? I just wanted to go on my laptop and talk to my friends. Petal was lounging on my swivel chair, her head perched over the edge of the seat. I ordered her to move, and so she did.
I sat at my computer and loaded up Skype to see that only one of my friends - Benji - was online.
Benji's awesome! I've known him pretty much my entire life. He's like the gay brother I've never had the privilege of having. He's always been there for me in my times of desperate need - even through my parents' divorce.
As soon as I clicked the cursor on video call, I immediately regretted it.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Benji yelled down the camera. I almost forgot that this is his favourite holiday of the year. "How's it going, Red?"
"I asked you to stop calling me that," I said with a scowl, hating the reference to my ginger hair. My best friend laughed jovially as he combed his fingers through his sandy-coloured hair. "I have something to tell you."
"Isn't it bad to fall in love with your gay best friend?" he commented rather seriously.
"Don't flatter yourself, Benji," I shot back, gaining yet another laugh from him. "Dad's not coming this year." Benji's mouth formed an 'o' shape and he gaped at his laptop screen, at an utter loss for words. He stared for about ten minutes and it was sorta uncomfortable.
"WHAT?" he proclaimed suddenly, making me fall off my seat. Petal jumped up from her spot on the bed and came to check if I was okay.
"Dude, the fuck's your problem?" I yelled back at him, climbing back onto my chair. "It's like 10pm, y'know." I regretted telling him that, too.
"TWO MORE HOURS!" He waved his arms about in a pathetic attempt to dance. I found myself crying with laughter at how ridiculous he was being. "There's that smile!"
"Thanks, Benji. I can always count on you."
That night, after talking to Benji for about an hour, I went to bed and instantly found myself asleep. I didn't like my dream - it was way too upsetting for me. In my head that night, I reminisced on the times I shared with my father: the good, the bad and the absolute terrible.
One scene was when I got lost at Blackpool Beach. A six-year-old girl surrounded by about like a million strangers does not go down well. I was a small redheaded girl crying in the middle of the sand - not one person came to comfort me. Well, I guess that's England for you. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a frantic man with jet black hair. He was asking people if they'd seen me. Luckily, one did. He saw me and that terrified face turned into one of complete happiness. We ran towards each other. He picked me up in his arms and spun me around. I definitely remember the lecture he gave me about wandering off in a busy place before giving a kiss on the head.
Another was my early teenage years. I'll tell you now - I was a bitch at the beginning of puberty. And I took my anger out on those who mattered the most to me. One time, I came home from school with a lip piercing! I desperately wanted to be like the other girls in my class, whose parents gave them pretty much anything. So, I stole my mum's credit card and got my lip done. It hurt like a fucking bitch, but it was a good pain, y'know? Of course, Dad went ballistic! Absolutely furious; he was even turning red. I simply stood there with my tie half way down my torso, shirt untucked and the 'I-don't-have-time-for-your-bullshit' face. He shouted and spat right in my face as he told me about responsibility and calling home if I'm returning late. Eventually, Dad sent me to my room and turned the wifi off [which pissed Dean off more than it did me]. Mother was pissed about her card being stolen more than anything else.
Another memory was when I ran away from home and attempted to go to Canada. It was a few months before Dad left us. It had nothing to do with me, though! Dad had just found out about Mum's affair with Jeff - caught them in bed together. I heard everything: the yelling, the screaming, the crying, the smashing of things from around the room. It was the single most distraught thing I've let my ears hear [other than that dubstep shit]. That night, when Mum was crying in her bed and Dad was getting drunk on the sofa, I packed my things. Joshua was just a baby at the time and, luckily, Dean was out with Amber all night. I left a note on my bedside-table and headed out for the airport. Thank fuck I had my own money to pay for the tickets this time. It was only when I was getting onto the plane I heard Dad's husky voice call my name. He was trying to get past security. He punched one of the guards in the face and ran for me. Reluctantly, I ran for him, too. And we hugged. It was the best hug I'd ever received from anybody ever. I felt like daddy's little girl again as he let my tears soak into his coat.
"Promise you'll never leave us...?"
"I promise, Vi."
I woke up with a start and bolted upright. I felt tears slipping down my cheeks. Sniffling, I wiped them away and looked out of the window.
Morning - Christmas Day.
I glanced over and saw that someone - probably Dean - had left a mince pie [even though I hate them. I don't know what's in that thing, but it's not mince!] and a glass of fresh milk with a note placed on the plate. I read it.
Merry Christmas, Vi!
We'll all be waiting for you downstairs. We have a surprise for you.
Dean x
I smiled slightly at the kiss he put next to his name. He hardly ever does that - must be a special occasion. Beside the written note was a little drawing of, what I thought was, Dean with his thumb in the air; it was almost cute. I found myself wondering what the hell the 'surprise' could be.
Was it David Tennant? Was it Connor Franta on a stick like I asked? Was it another puppy for Petal to play with? Or could it be that plaid shirt I've been asking for for years? Y'know, the blue one that Beca wears in Pitch Perfect.
Sliding my feet into my Gromit slippers, I took a sip of the milk. Still cold...It mustn't have been long, then. I whistled for Petal, but she didn't come. She always came!
"Petal?" I called, but received no answer. "Where is that damn dog?" I cursed and I made my way down the stairs. Despite it being a small area of the house, it was beautifully decorated, with pictures hanging on the wall of me and my siblings growing up, tinsel draping over each of them. I smiled unconsciously at the sight. We were all so cute! What the hell happened?
"Mum, have you seen-" I began when I reached the bottom the stairs. I stared out in front of me; at my family. In between my two brothers sat a man with dark, stylish hair and a brown pinstriped suit - white converse dressed his feet. He had a stubble beard and a flattering, toothy smile. His nose was slightly crooked, but in a good way, if you know what I mean.
"'sup, Viola?" he said with his deep voice.
"Dad," I said in awe, gaping at the man I haven't seen in like four and a half years. Subconsciously, I crashed into Dad's arms and hugged so tightly, I swear he was turning blue. If he was, he didn't say anything, because he hugged me back just as tight. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mum wipe away her slipping tears, Joshua was cheering like a fucktard and Dean was smiling proudly.
"Merry Christmas, Vi," Dad said into my hair, placing a sweet kiss there. "Okay, you can let go now," he said as an afterthought and my entire family laughed - even I did.
Eventually, I did let go...after about half an hour. Words cannot express how happy I was to see him.
"Like my outfit?" he said, twirling around. It was then that I noticed that he was dressed like the tenth Doctor - David Tennant!
"Freakin' love it!"
"Okay, let's open these presents!" Mum called out, creating the most excited scream from Joshua pretty much ever.
The rest of the day was like that - the family all together again at Christmas. We opened our presents - got some pretty cool stuff, surprisingly - watched Nativity 2. Not gonna lie, I was drooling slightly. And of course, we watched Doctor Who! This episode was awesome. Nick Frost as Santa Claus? YES PLEASE! During Christmas dinner, we pulled our crackers, read the dumbass jokes and wore our hats, all with those holiday songs in the background. For some reason, though, they sounded way better than they had previously. Petal was going mental with the baubles that fell off the tree. When it came to bedtime, I wouldn't leave Dad alone again. I clung to him like Anna Kendrick and Taco Bell. Soon enough though, I fell asleep in his arms, just like I used to.
I awoke in the middle of the night when I heard whispering coming from the other side of my bedroom door. Flicking on my torch, I crept towards the door and opened it a tiny fraction, just when the whispers stopped. What I saw was honestly the best thing I could have laid eyes on in the whole sixteen years I've been alive. A huge grin cracked my face in two.
Mum and Dad were kissing!
I shut my door quickly and basically skipped back to bed, still keeping that smile. To anyone else, I would've looked like I was on speed or meth or something. But, I don't care what they think.
Because I have my family back.
"Best Christmas ever."
YAYYY! I do love a happy ending, don't you? Got pretty emotional there towards the end [I think]. I finished this at the beginning of November, but didn't post 'til December because...CHRISTMAS! Just as a disclaimer, I adore Christmas! Seriously, though, I really hope you guys like this - I'm shit at one-shots. I'm rambling, aren't I...? Review if you so wish [no mean comments, please - I will most likely cry]. And remember - #DylanLovesYou! AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!