A Very Bubblegum Christmas
Author: Hey, this is my first crack at a Bubblegum story and since I loved 2040 so much, I had to write about it. This is also my first holiday story and I really hope you guys enjoy it as I enjoyed writing it more then you can imagine. I don't own any of the Bubblegum characters, names, or anything like that and I hope you all have a very happy holidays and a very Merry Christmas!
The sharp, crisp, white twinkling specks of snow and ice glittered down from the heavens as if an angel was shedding her wings into a shower of white specks. Sylia's blue eyes looked as blue as the inky heavens from which the snow descended from. The pale faced beauty couldn't stop staring at the snow drifting in front of the window she was effortlessly staring out.
"Snow……my god……to think we almost lost something this beautiful……what a tragedy that would have been" Sylia said to herself, taking a big, deep sigh and getting lost in those shining snowflakes.
Nene pouted "Hey Mackey, where are those Christmas ornaments you said you'd get an HOUR ago?". The blonde knight saber pouted as she crossed her light tan brown shirtsleeves over her dark chocolate vest.
A frantically panic stricken Mackey could be heard running up the stairs, his adorable, baby face twitching with stressed out cheeks as he ran to Nene with the box of ornaments. Nene frowned and tapped her shoe annoyingly beside a pretty bare looking Christmas tree.
"Sorry, I'm sorry, sorry Nene, I just got caught up. Nigel has this REALLY cool new bike engine he's been working on, and, well you know" Mackey nervously said. The boy rubbed his dark brown locks above his white sweatband.
"That's MISS Nene. I should have figured as much about the bike engine though, well come on, I don't want to decorate this tree by myself you know" Nene said with a sly smirk.
Mackey gulped and quickly apologized for forgetting to call her miss, his nervous hands unplugged the lid off the container of ornaments. Nene and Mackey eagerly started to go through the colorful ornaments while Sylia watched them with a playful smile on her rose red lips.
My god it's so good to see him happy again. I'm so glad we were able to put this together, Mackey deserves to have a Christmas like a normal boy, he deserves a normal life……we all do. Ironically, it was an abnormal life that brought us all together in the first place.
Sylia smiled at her own thoughts, trying her best to block out the bad memories of Tokyo. It had been 6 months since the nightmare of Galateya and the destruction of Tokyo. After all of the Boomers went rogue and fused into the city streets, explosives leveled Tokyo in order to rebuild the city from scratch……no boomers this time. Linna and Nene were picked up by coast guards off that little island they landed on, and Priss was picked up by a military rescue chopper from the desert.
If Priss only knew how hard Leon pressured the military to send out that chopper for her.
After that, everyone met back up and eventually split off to go back to their families and friends, let them know they survived that horrible battle. However, as time passed the Knight sabers grew uneasy and felt lonely for their "other family". It was because of this Sylia, Mackey, and Henderson sent out Christmas cards to everyone, inviting them to their old mansion in the grassy hills for a party. Sylia chuckled to herself remembering how quickly Nene made it to the mansion to see Mackey……and how she was crying tears of joy when she held him in her arms.
The white haired woman watched with unbridled joy as they decorated the gorgeous tree Henderson had picked out from the nearby woods.
"So Mackey, how's Nigel coming along with those Christmas lights?" Sylia curiously asked the boy as he was hanging up the golden star on the treetop.
"Kind of slow actually, I think he's kind of upset he isn't working on anything special like the old hard suits. Christmas lights are kind of a weak substitute" Mackey said with a small laugh.
"But you know it's gonna look super cool once he gets it finished Sylia, if Nigel could make the hard suits just imagine what he could do with simple Christmas lights" Nene said, giggling quite cheerfully. Christmas was Nene's favorite holiday ever and it showed quite vividly in her adorable smile and vibrantly cheerful attitude.
Sylia turned as she heard a jingling bell at the door, she heard voices and some stomping boots. Must be Henderson telling them to kick the snow on the rug Sylia thought to herself.
"My lady, more of our guests have arrived" Henderson said, dressed in a white tuxedo with a red bowtie, different from his usual black suit obviously due to the holidays.
Linna and Leon McNichol had arrived, along with his ex-partner Daley Wong.
Linna smiled at sight of her old Knight Saber teammate "Merry Christmas Sylia, the place looks great."
Sylia nodded and smiled in return "Merry Christmas to you too Linna, and you too Leon and Mr. Wong, it's a pleasure to finally meet you sir." Sylia extended her hand and shook Wong's hand.
"Please it's just Wong, I take it the big lug nut over here has been telling you about our fabulously interesting exploits as former AD police officers?" Wong asked slyly.
"Yes he has, Leon is quite a dedicated friend Wong. He stayed with us till the very end despite how grim things got" Sylia said with pride, she really did admire everything Leon did for them.
"Now if I only had a boyfriend who was like that, ah, Christmas wishes eh big guy?" Wong said jokingly, poking his police friend with a jab in his dark brown leather jacket chest.
Linna blinked curiously at Wong's statement, "Uh boyfriend don't you mean girlfriend?" she asked with a prying glare. Wong blinked as Linna was turning red and staring right at him as if she was implying something to him.
Wong nervously coughed "Um you are aware I'm gay right?".
Suddenly Linna's face turned even redder, she laughed nervously and simply walked away before she looked anymore like an idiot.
God I need a man in my life……
Everyone in the room just laughed and shrugged it off, entering the main room and joining the others. Linna was also wearing a dark shirt like Nene's, but she wore a emerald green scarf around her shoulders and neck along with a sparkling dark blue skirt above black stockings. Leon was dressed in his usual cop attire, as was Wong except for a comically ridiculous looking Christmas tie he wore across his orange turtleneck. It was green with snowmen all over it.
"Oh my it looks beautiful" Linna exclaimed at sight of the dinner table, her dark gray eyes lighting up at the gorgeous display of Christmas candles surrounding a freshly baked turkey dinner, surrounded by silverware, plates, and glasses.
"Yes, Henderson has prepared an excellent feast for us tonight, we have much to be thankful for this Christmas" Sylia said with a glass of wine curled between her fingers.
Nene's ocean blue eyes lifted up from the rainbow of colorful ornaments at mention of the word "thankful". The cute young hacker looked up at Mackey, watching his fingers wrap a hook around a small red and green jack-in-the-box ornament to the tree. Nene's eyes sparkled as she smiled so happily in sight of Mackey's ornament placement.
Yes……we really do have much to be thankful for……
The young girl's thoughts drifted in her blond head as she shook them off and returned to helping decorate the tree.
Nigel groaned as his thick boots came stomping up from the basement stairs. "The lights are on, their hardwired in with the tree so they should all be working fine" Nigel said bluntly.
"Oh thank you so much Nigel, won't you join us for dinner? Once Priss gets here we can start, and we have plenty of food for everyone" Sylia said quite insistently, trying to bring a little holiday cheer to that handsome mechanic who still was as cold as an icicle.
Linna curiously blinked as she turned to Leon "Hey that reminds me, you never did tell me why Priss didn't want to carpool with us."
Leon shrugged and rolled his reddish brown eyes "How the hell should I know?".
"Well you ARE her boyfriend after all, you guys know how to talk don't you?" Linna said, nagging him a bit, the gruff cop turned a little red and sighed with annoyance written all over his stern face.
"Boyfriend or not Priss is still Priss. You know how she is, she takes off without saying a word sometimes. I think she wanted to come at her own pace and not let us slow her down or something. You know how she is with her bike" Leon said to which Linna understood perfectly, especially after her experience with Motoslave up in space.
Using this distraction to his advantage, Nigel returned to the basement without saying another word. Sylia sighed and simply drank her wine with little surprise on her saddened cheeks. Sylia wore a special sleeveless red dress with a thick collar, black flower shaped buttons down the chest, and faded white feathers across her skirt. The dress almost looked Chinese. However, no amount of flesh or make up in the world would ever be enough to pull Nigel out of his rock hard shell. Linna and Leon blinked as they saw the dining room's windows fill up with light.
The lights quickly died and some snowy footsteps could be heard.
"Hey its Priss, I'd recognize that bike hum anywhere" Nene said.
A knock came to the door and Henderson went to the door, he smiled as he opened it up and found Priss standing there at the door, with a smile on her pale lips. Priss had on a black turtleneck with faint, faded snowflakes on it, wearing a dark brown leather jacket over the turtleneck and even darker colored pants. Her cat like brown eyes sharply contrasted by the surprisingly colorful mistletoe earrings she wore.
"Good evening Madame Priss, and a Merry Christmas" Henderson said with a warm, and pleasant smile under his white moustache.
"Hey Henderson, same to you, nice lights you got, Nigel's handy work?" Priss said, smirking as she figured that rough old mechanic was behind that blinding display of electronic holiday cheer. Thanks to Sylia's words of encouragement no doubt.
"It's about time you got here slowpoke" Linna said teasingly.
"Yeah what took you so long, if we can't finish dinner we can't get our presents" Nene said with a little teasing, child like grin.
Priss chuckled at Nene's immature behavior, some things never change. Mackey stood up and waved to Priss who nodded in return.
"Hey kid, I got something for you" Priss said with a foxy smirk, diving into her coat pockets in search of something. Mackey blinked as he watched Priss curiously search for his "gift".
The biker woman grinned as she found it, she pulled out a miniature mistletoe from her right coat pocket. Priss leaned in close to Mackey's forehead and with a small piece of tape, attached the mistletoe to Mackey's white sweatband. Mackey blushed while Nene giggled at the adorable new "headgear" her boyfriend just received. Everyone giggled and smiled at the cute couple.
Linna smirked "That looks good on you Mackey, a real eye catcher".
Nene smiled playfully, leaning her rosy red cheeks closer to Mackey's "I'll say, it looks really great on you Mackey and you know……it is a mistletoe after all."
Mackey blushed bright red and laughed nervously "Uh actually Nene I think it's made of plastic."
Nene's face immediately turned bright red, angry red as she screamed "For the HUNDREDTH time its" but suddenly her angry rant was cut off. Mackey leaned in and kissed her soft lips, his mistletoe headgear jingling softly.
Priss, Linna, and Sylia smiled at that little kiss, ever so proud of the happy young couple. Leon smiled as well as he eyed Priss, wondering when he would experience that sensation with Priss again.
Mackey smiled as he softly broke the kiss "Merry Christmas Miss Nene."
Nene just blushed bright red and giggled sweetly "Just call me Nene."
The two lovebirds split up as they prepared to get ready for dinner, Nene and Linna helped set the table while Mackey called to Nigel downstairs in the basement. Sylia just looked away from Mackey and stared at the small, shimmering sample of wine that remained in her glass. The lonely woman didn't expect her would-be knight in grease monkey armor to appear no matter how many times Mackey called. Priss approached Leon with a smile on her pale-skinned face.
"Hey you, miss me?" Priss said coyly.
"Every minute of every second count?" Leon said bluntly, looking at her with the utmost sincerity and seriousness in his eyes and voice.
Priss blushed, clearly not expecting that kind of an answer. She almost forgot how quickly Leon could set her heart ablaze like that. The two lost lovers blinked as a ringing bell clanged. Everyone looked up to see an old grandfather clock near the fireplace, clanging loudly with the hands reading 7o'clock on the clock's bronze face.
"Dinner time everyone, please take your seats so we can begin" Henderson announced.
Sylia sat at the head of the table, thanking Henderson for pulling the chair out for her. The elderly butler sat on Sylia's right side followed by Wong, Leon, and Priss. On Sylia's left side was Mackey followed by Nene, Linna and an empty seat meant for Nigel. Before everyone started eating, Sylia stood up and gently banged her glass with a fork to make an announcement. Everyone at the table turned and looked to Sylia who stood with a smile on her frosty face.
Sylia took a deep breath and prepared to speak……
Sylia slowly began "Before we begin eating I'd like to say a few words in honor of all of you, the people I love. Under the city of Tokyo, we met to combat evil and defend the city from monsters and Boomers that desired to tear Tokyo apart and turn it into a graveyard. Though that nightmare became a reality, it is because of Tokyo that I met all of you and why I'm standing here tonight, having Christmas with my friends and family, together under one roof. We have much to be thankful for here tonight, and I'd like us to go around the table and say something.
I'd like you to talk of what you are most thankful for and why we're here tonight. I'll start. I am thankful that all of you stood by my side through thick and thin, my family has caused so many of you and hundreds more a lifetime of grief and for that I am sorry. Yet despite the skeletons that lurked in my closet, you helped me with my dream and helped make this beautiful Christmas a reality. Whether you are a stranger, a friend, or family, with all of my heart, I thank you all."
Everyone smiled and nodded, moved and touched by Sylia's lovely speech. Henderson coughed weakly as he held up his gloved hand over his mouth, standing up next to say his words.
Next was Henderson……
"In all the years of my life, I have never been so happy and thankful to have lived to see this day. I have served the Stingray family before Mistress Sylia was even born, and even despite the shadows that lurked within her family's bloodline, I have never been more proud of Mistress Sylia then I am today. She dedicated herself to a noble and impeccably difficult cause and survived. I look at all of you and each moment I am reminded what a splendid family she has created and that I am truly fortunate to be by her side and at yours my friends" Henderson said.
Next was Wong……
"My partner in crime, being the bull headed, hot tempered ape he is, hated you all with a great passion, and yet, I didn't know the beauty of your friendship with him until tonight. I thought I knew everything there was about old Leon here but I was wrong. In my time at the AD police, I saw some amazing things, but none more amazing then the bonds of friendship he formed with all of you. He risked his life staying behind to help you when I could not. Tonight, I finally see why and if he hadn't, I don't think I'd be here wishing you all a Merry Christmas tonight" Wong said.
Next was Leon……
"Aside from his wisecracks, Wong is the best damn partner and best friend I've ever had so I've got to say something about him or else he'll never let me live it down. But I also have to say something about the Knight Sabers. You made me and the AD police look like morons and for the longest time I wanted to arrest you all. Never once did I think about the people inside those metal suits, or how wonderful those people could be in person. I almost missed out on something grand, and though she'll never admit it, Priss helped me do it so thank you, my love, and all of you. You gave this old dog a second chance" Leon said.
Next was Priss……
"Uh hi. I'm not one for speeches, heh, not much for talking in general, but I don't wanna be a pain in the ass on Christmas so I'll talk. Before I met you guys I only had two things going for me: my bike, and my music. Right after I destroyed Galateya, she gave me the power to come back to Earth, a gift she called it. Before I met you guys I had no reason to even want to come back to Earth. So thanks, thanks for giving me a third reason to come back home (looks over and winks to a blushing Leon) well, make that four, that's it for me" Priss said.
Next was Mackey……
"H-h-h-hi everyone. Even though you all know I'm older then I look, I've never really had a Christmas, not like this anyway. Many bad things happened in Tokyo and I almost became one of them. However, if there's one good thing I can honestly say about this world, it's that it's worth living through the hard times for. Despite all the suffering and rogue boomers, I was still able to be a part of a warm and loving family. Fixing machines is one thing but this, this is something far more valuable. I'm thankful that even if it's for one night, you make me feel like a real boy, and that's the best Christmas wish I could ever ask for, bless you all" Mackey said.
Next was Nene……
"Even though you guys treated me like a kid, made fun of my age, and never truly appreciated a REAL genius like me……still……you guys are the greatest. Hacking into that computer and being caught by Sylia is the greatest thing that could have ever happened to me. You helped me fulfill my dream of going to space, gave me a chance to grow as a person, meet so many new people, (smiles at Mackey and squeezes his hand) and fall in love. Were more than a team, more than Knight Sabers, more than heroes, were family and I wouldn't trade it for the entire galaxy" Nene said.
Next was Linna……
"When I first came to Tokyo everyone treated me like a piece of crap. My friends, my bosses, my co-workers, no one gave me an ounce of respect. Then a crazy biker girl nearly ran me over and cost me my job, and now here I am. Being a Knight Saber was a dream come true. I finally had the power to do what has been in my heart for so long, I was able to help the less fortunate just like you helped me when I was less fortunate. I was the country bumpkin who wanted an escape, instead you gave me a mission, a chance, a dream, from the bottom my heart, thank you" Linna said.
Next was……Nigel?
Sylia suddenly gasped as she found herself staring at the sharp, dark colored, greasy lock of dark brown hair of her silent would-be lover, Nigel. Nigel was actually sitting at the dinner table.
"I don't like the holidays, I don't like much of anything outside of fixing and making things. It's the way I am and it's the way I'll always be. I don't change, the only thing that changes about me is the people I work for…… and I'm thankful that…….I'm thankful that I haven't worked for anyone else……since I came to work here……I'll eat my dinner downstairs" Nigel said.
And without another word, the stone-faced man stood up, took his plate and drink, and headed back downstairs to the basement. Sylia's eyes nearly burst with tears as she smiled with immeasurable happiness at Nigel.
"Nigel" Sylia whispered, feeling her warm tears trickle down her pale cheeks.
Nigel turned around and looked at Sylia, without another word he simply nodded and vanished down the shadowy staircase. Priss, Linna, and Nene all looked at each other with the same amount of shock as Sylia did, none of them able to believe what they just saw.
"Shall we begin then?" Henderson said with a rather enthusiastic grin.
Everyone nodded and gleefully began their wonderful Christmas dinner. Wong smiled as Henderson poured a fresh glass of wine into his glass, while Nene and Mackey were arguing over who wanted the next turkey leg, and Linna laughed from some of Leon's wild police stories. Hours pass and as the dinner slowly came to an end; Priss suddenly got up and left the table. Leon blinked as he saw Priss walk out the front door and close it behind her.
"1…2…1, 2, 3, 4" Priss silently said to herself, standing outside amongst the snow and twinkling starlight's, singing to herself in the shadow of her own dreams.
"Singing any Christmas carols are we?" Leon asked with a smug grin, slowly stepping outside behind Priss and closing the door.
"Not my kind of tune sorry to say. Nothing wrong with it though, music is music" Priss said, shrugging her jacket sleeves.
"You really don't like Christmas do you?" Leon asked firmly.
"Cold never suited me or my bike, Hell of a time riding down icy roads. I guess you can say I never had anyone to spend Christmas with……not even sure I ever wanted someone though" Priss said rather cryptically, casually gazing her cat like eyes to the snowy sky.
"Is that why you're leaving so soon? Because you don't want to spend Christmas with us, or are you just afraid Santa is gonna leave coal in your stocking?" Leon said, scratching his dark spiky hair.
Priss laughed "For a fat guy he sure gets around, just too bad he never got around to my place, not that I'm bitter or anything. Christmases come and go but the merry never came with it. I guess I'm doomed to remain on Santa's naughty list then."
Leon turned red as he bit his lip, and gently presented a small wrapped object to Priss "Maybe this year will be different."
Priss looked down and blinked in surprise at Leon's gift, it was a small, square shaped present with cheesy red and green Christmas wrapping paper and a pink bow. Annoying memories of that pink dress popped into Priss's head, Sylia probably told Leon about it, hence the pink bow. Priss kept on staring at the present before finally managing to tear the wrapping paper off it. The biker woman gasped and covered her mouth.
"No…….way" Priss gasped with unbelievable shock.
It was a copy of the CD with her favorite song of all time, the one that was lost by the AD police, the one she sung to Leon and in the desert after she crashed. The CD was beat up, dirty looking and the casing was scratched and worn, but there it was, right in her shaking hands.
"I hope it's not considered cheating to use my police resources to find that. All I had to go on was the lyrics, it was a pain in the ass let me tell you, but after enough digging I found a copy in some dingy music store on the outskirts of Japan. It's used and beat up a bit but I thought that it would" Leon said, before he felt a pale finger push against his lips. The cop stared down at Priss.
"I……I……should have said something to you before I left" Priss said, breathlessly, her heart beating heavily in her chest as her cheeks turn a crimson red.
"Do you mean in regards to what I told you before you left for the skyhook jump?" Leon asked, almost as nervous as Priss was when he asked that.
"You……you're the main reason I wanted to come back from space……because……I love you" Priss said as she leaned in and kissed Leon with all her heart and soul.
The AD officer and the Knight Saber kissed under the snow-covered stars of Heaven, holding each other in their arms and letting their warmth wash away the cold of winter. This was heaven, this was paradise, this was the greatest miracle Priss has ever been a part of……this is Christmas.
THE END
(And a Merry Christmas to all!)