Christmas Morning on Papetoon

"It's so warm."

"Barely less than seventy."

"No snow, either."

"I love this planet."

"It grows on you."

"I'm glad we came back here."

"So am I."

"How long do you think we have?"

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

"PRESENTS!"

Vixy let out an "Oof!" as her son, Fox McCloud, landed right on top of her. He was five years old, and already showing evidence of having inherited his parents short stature. He was frequently confused for a three year old, much to his chagrin. "Merry Christmas little 'un."

"Merry Christmas!" Fox said, wrapping his arms around Vixy's neck and hugging her, his tail wagging furiously behind him. "Presents!"

Sitting up and rubbing the last of the sleep from his eyes, James beckoned Fox and said, "How about a hug for me, then presents?"

"Okay." Fox unhooked himself from Vixy and then promptly latched on to James. "Merry Christmas daddy."

"Merry Christmas to you too little guy," James said, stroking his son's growing mop of white hair. It filled him with pride every morning when he woke up and saw his son. It reminded him of why he did the things he did, first as leader of Star Fox, and now as a Federation Marshal on Papetoon. James had vowed that, no matter what, he would do his best to make certain that the universe Fox grew up in would be one free from strife, and that his son would never have cause to not feel safe. "Presents?"

"PRESENTS!" Fox yelled, his face lighting up now that he sensed they were ready to move on to the most important part of the day. With a leap and a bound he careened off the bed, out the door, and then rumbled down the stairs.

Shaking her head, Vixy said, "I feel like he got a hyperactive gene from each of us, and they combined into one big super-gene."

Chuckling, James stood up and reached for his robe. Vixy took a look at his butt beneath his underwear, happy to see that it remained as toned as ever. "That'd be my guess too."

Wrapping herself up in her own robe, Vixy took her husband's hand and the two of them went downstairs. They found Fox sitting next to the Christmas tree, his gifts stacked in a pile around him. "Go ahead," she told him.

Fox needed no further encouragement. He tore into the wrapping around the boxes. Paper went flying in all directions, and Fox laughed with glee at the sight of the toys he'd gotten. Model Arwings and Switch-Wings with full articulation; a pair of dart guns with extra ammunition; action figures from all his favorite movies; and a stack of vintage comic books that James had found with Peppy's help.

"What do you think Fox?" James asked, sitting down on the couch after grabbing the present tagged with his name. He and Vixy had agreed once Fox started getting old enough for presents to restrict themselves to one thing for each other, saving the rest of the money to make sure Fox got as big a Christmas each year as they could afford. "Got enough there?"

Fox wrapped his arms possessively around his presents and said, "Mine."

James laughed and nodded. "That they are. Thanks honey." Vixy came over and handed him a mug of steaming coffee. James took a sip, feeling the caffeine begin to chase away any lingering cobwebs in his head.

Bending over, Vixy picked up the package marked with her name, then sat down next to her husband. "Merry Christmas."

"Why thank you," James said, putting his coffee down on the coffee table. "What did you get me this year?"

"Open it up and you'll see," Vixy said, acting mysterious.

Smiling slightly, James said, "I'm almost afraid of what it might be." He started unwrapping it. "Cerinian aphrodisiac?"

"You wish," Vixy replied, rolling her eyes.

Finished with the wrapping James opened up the small, multicolored box, and grinned at what he saw inside of it. "Vixy, you didn't."

"I did." Vixy's tail wagged behind her, pride filling her heart at what appeared to have been the perfect gift.

James lifted a case from the box, then opened it to reveal a pair of glittering aviator sunglasses. Not just any aviators though, the frames were made of stainless steel, and they glittered in the lights coming off of the Christmas tree. The tinted lenses were the truly special part though. "These are military grade. Shatterproof and bulletproof." James shook his head in amazement.

Taking them from his hands, Vixy slipped them on for him and squeezed a tiny button embedded in the frames. James gasped and then yipped with delight, his tail thumping against the couch cushions. "A holographic, realtime heads up display!"

"Do you like it?" Vixy asked, knowing the answer but fishing for a compliment.

Wrapping her up in a bone crushing hug, James said, "I love it! How did you even get these? They don't sell them on the civilian market."

"I have my ways," Vixy told him, playing the enigmatic wife. "Pepper may have helped a bit."

"The old hound." James grinned. "Well, you both did a bang up job. I'm not even sure my present can compare, honestly."

"We'll see," Vixy responded, reaching for her box. "It's heavy." Vixy set it down in her lap and started taking off the wrapping paper. Unlike James, who just ripped his paper to shreds, throwing the remains across the floor, Vixy took hers off slowly and methodically, making as few tears as possible, and then setting the paper aside to either be reused, or thrown out later. "James? Is this what I think it is?"

Scratching the back of his neck, James said, "I know I got you books last year, and you have those ones in paperback already, but...I just thought you liked it so much last time I might as well do it again. Look inside the first one though."

What Vixy held in her lap was something she had trouble believing James's modesty about. It was the collected Saga of Julian, a historical epic in four parts about the Majorian Tetrarchy, an ancient Cornerian empire. Taking the first book, a hardcover first edition, Vixy opened it and stared at the inside of the front cover. "No."

"Yeah." James nodded, his tail wagging as he picked up on how well his gift was being received. "It took some doing but, I guess I have my ways, too."

Vixy just continued staring at the words written on the inside of the front cover. They weren't anything especially personal, just well wishes along with her name, but they were from the author herself, and to Vixy they meant the world. Then, just as she was about to thank James with hug that could squash an elephant, he slipped a piece of paper in front of her. "What's this?"

"Open it."

Vixy unfolded the note, and she gasped. "Get out!" She shoved James, not able to believe her eyes. "You? What? How?"

Laughing, and helping Fox climb onto the couch as he flew his new model Arwing around, James said, "I met her at a book signing a few months ago. I just happened to have some of your work on my phone, and she was nice enough to take a quick look at it. Turns out she loved it, and, I hope you don't mind, but I've been sending her some more of your work on the sly since we then."

Vixy's brain was having trouble comprehending exactly what was going on. Because not only did her favorite author of her favorite series in her favorite genre actually like her work, but according to the note she'd sent, she'd love to meet her, and she'd be returning to Papetoon for a book tour in January and...Vixy squealed. She didn't just squeal, she also pumped her fists in the air, then got up and started doing a dance. Because not only was she going to meet her favorite author, but if it went well, she might just be getting that author's help getting published. Published. Published!

His Arwing having crashed, Fox looked at his mom and cocked his head, trying to make sense of her behavior. Unable to figure out what had his mom so excited, but deciding that it didn't matter, Fox started hopping up and down too, while simultaneously screaming at the top of his lungs.

Tail wagging behind him, James joined in by sweeping Vixy up in his arms, and the two of them danced around the room. The revelry of the McCloud family was broken when the doorbell rang. "Who could that be?"

"I'll get it!" Fox announced, then charged off to the door. Reaching up on his tiptoes he unlocked the door, then opened it, and was promptly tackled to the floor, a small, orange and black furred feline pummeling him with a foam wrench. "Ow! Ow! Ow!"

"Fight back, dweeb!" The little lynx berated him. Fight back he did, the two of them beginning a proper tussle.

Frowning, James moved in to break it up, but was beaten to it by his friend, Archer Lynx, who came running and pulled his daughter, Miyu, off of Fox. "Sorry James. I should've seen the look in her eye when we gave her that wrench."

Miyu kicked and fought, a gigantic grin on her face as she swung her wrench at Fox impotently. Fox, hiding behind his father's leg, stuck his tongue out at the lynx and said, "Neener neener!"

"Pthbbttt!" Miyu stuck her tongue out right back, prompting a roll of the eyes from Archer.

James chuckled and said, "I don't know how you and Kira manage her."

"I'll let you in on the secret," Archer said, thanking Vixy as she offered him a cup of coffee from the kitchen. He set Miyu down on the floor, but kept a hand on her shoulder."We don't."

With that he let Miyu go. James and Vixy fully expected another battle to ensue, but instead Miyu ran up to Fox and wrapped him in a big hug. Fox, looking not at all surprised, having been on the receiving end of more than his fair share of Miyu's always affectionate abuse, hugged her back and said, "Merry Christmas Miyu."

Squeezing her best friend as hard as she could, and bopping him on the head with her foam wrench, the four year old lynx said, "Merry Christmas. Dweeb."

A/N: Merry Krystmas everyone! I decided to keep my one shot short and simple this year, but hopefully it's just as adorable. Seriously, mini-Fox and mini-Miyu are, like, my favorite thing now.

For any who are wondering, this story is canonical in my AU, so those little bits such as James being a Federation Marshal are things that will come up in later stories.

Beyond that, I'd just like to wish another Merry Krystmas to everyone, and also say a thank you to Sani for being one of the inspirations for mini-Miyu in this story. So thank you Sani, ya big dweeb.

-FurfurfurfurFUrFurFuR