As I promised you all earlier, I had a poll for a Christmas story and you the people chose it to be put in the Pacific Rim verse. This story takes place ten years after Pacific Rim: New Chance...one year before the events in Pacific Rim: Ash and Smoke. So that means we've got little mini-Jaegers and Half-Jaegers to deal with...This ought to be fun.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas
'Twas the day before Christmas and all through the Shatterdome…not a creature was stirring. Not even a…
"Get 'im!"
"SYLPH WATCH OUT FOR THAT…!"
CRASH!
"I DIDN'T DO IT!"
"I take that back," Raleigh thought bitterly, leaping out of the way as three kids ran down the hallway, running full tilt and trailing glitter and ribbons and wrapping paper.
"Oi! *haff* You three! Slow *haff* down!"
Raleigh turned around to see Striker…Steven Hansen…stopping, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Striker's blue gaze snapped up to Raleigh.
"Those three…they're fast," he panted.
"Their parents were the fastest Jaegers of their classes, I wouldn't be surprised if they were," Raleigh deadpanned.
"Not anymore," Steven growled, "Ah, God what I wouldn't give to have that speed again!"
And he took off again.
"Don't listen to him," came Gipsy's voice as the former Jaeger leaned on the wall, crossing her arms, "He's just cranky because the kids woke him up this morning,"
"Hey ya Gips," Raleigh grinned, coming up and ruffling his sister's hair.
"Raleigh!" Gipsy griped, flattening her hair, "Not again! You're just as bad as Yancy!"
Raleigh grinned, wrapping his youngest sibling in a hug.
"It's good to see ya, Gips," he murmured, squeezing her tightly.
"You too, Rals," Gipsy replied as Raleigh let go, "So, how're Katsumi and Andrew?"
"And our third child," came Mako's voice as she came down the hall, a hand on her swollen belly.
"Three kids…good luck," Gipsy grinned.
"You'd know all about that wouldn't you?" Raleigh deadpanned as the shouts started getting louder.
"Hold that thought," Gipsy said holding up a finger as her three children shot down the hall.
The former Mark III crossed her arms, leveling a frosty blue glare at the three kids…all three of them screeched to a halt, blue eyes wide as they looked up at their mother.
"Sylph, Romani, Angel…" Gipsy started, "Mind telling me what in the world is going on?"
"We twied to wrap yours and Daddy's present," Sylph, the youngest of the three, started.
"But Banshee decided it'd be fun to dump the glue on us…and then glitter," Angel deadpanned.
"Don't call me that!" Romani snapped, blue eyes nearly spitting sparks, "And it wasn't on purpose. I tripped!"
Gipsy closed an eye and Romani ducked his head.
"Well…" he admitted, "Maybe I intended to get just a little glitter on them…but not that much!"
"Still," Gipsy growled.
Crimson walked into the kitchen to see total and utter chaos. The former Mark IV watched as two of Striker and Gipsy's children, one of Tacit and Coyote's and one of Crimson's own children, made a complete mess of the kitchen…with Anya trying to keep the peace.
"It says we have to blend it!" Luna, Tacit and Coyote's daughter, stated, pointing at a recipe.
Lei, Crimson's eight year old son, turned a dark brown gaze down at the battered piece of paper.
"I think I saw mixer here somewhere…" he murmured, flicking his longish, black hair out of his eyes.
"Why don't we just use the blender?" Romani asked, "It's not going to hurt anything…right?"
Anya's blond eyebrows tilted downwards…like Cherno's did when he wasn't sure on something.
"Don't know…" she said slowly, fingering the slender gold chain at her throat, "Maybe not such a good idea, Romani,"
The young Russian was already five and a half feet…overtaking her mother. Another two feet and she'd overtake her father and older brother. Crimson…although at least a foot taller than her, was just the tiniest bit afraid of her. If not the girl herself…then definitely her older brother and father.
"It'll be fine!" the middle Hansen child growled, stuffing the contents of the bowl into the blender, "What's the worst that could happen?"
"I wanna press the button!" Sylph chirped.
"Wha?" Romani started right as Sylph's tiny hand slammed on the 'on' switch, "SYLPH! NO! THE LID'S NOT…!"
Suddenly, cookie batter sprayed from the open end of the blender like a geyser from H-E- double hockey sticks. The five kids all screamed…whether in fear, excitement, or frustration Crimson didn't know…
What he did know…was that three little Jaegers, a Half-Jaeger and a human pre-teen were in serious trouble.
The three armed young man came out, crossing his two flesh and blood arms and tapping his foot.
The five troublemakers (even though they didn't intend it) all shrank down.
"Um…hi Uncle Zhu," Romani stammered, "Before you say anything…this was a total accident!"
He looked at his youngest sister, who was happily licking the batter off her fingers.
"And also not my fault," he added.
"Why does Galina get to put the star on the tree?" Raleigh's oldest, Andrew, demanded as Cherno lifted his tiny daughter up to the top of the tree where she put the star in place.
"Because she's the lightest and smallest now shush," Raleigh reprimanded.
"Raleigh…" Mako warned.
Raleigh shot his wife a slight glare but didn't respond to her, instead turning to Andrew.
"Andy," he started, "When you were Galina's age, we did the same with you. Just like with the others. Remember? Sylph had it last year?"
"But it's not fair!" Andrew huffed, "I'm the oldest besides Matt, Lauren, Anya and Kat..."
"Hey," Raleigh said with a slight smile, "Did I ever tell you the story about your uncle Yancy and how he wanted to put the star on the tree?"
Andrew shook his head and Raleigh gave a wicked smile.
"Your uncle wanted to put that star on so bad that he actually climbed the tree to do it. He woke up at two in the morning just so he could get that stupid star," Raleigh chuckled.
"Did he make it?" Andrew asked.
"Did he make it," Raleigh snorted, "Of course he did…"
"Then what happened?"
"Then I stepped on a wrong branch and fell down the tree," came Yancy's voice as he snuck up behind his nephew, "Broke every last ornament on the tree as well as that star…and I fractured my wrist,"
"Mom was so mad that she grounded him from his Christmas gifts for two months," Raleigh finished, "He had to do so many chores that your aunt Jazmine and I called him Cinderella,"
"That wasn't funny," Yancy growled.
"What about Aunt Gipsy?" Andrew asked.
Both Becket brothers looked at each other nervously. Andrew didn't know about Gipsy and the others. There were only three of the next generation that did. Matt, Lauren, and Anya.
"I wasn't born yet," came Gipsy's voice as the Mark III came to the rescue, "Believe me, I didn't even know of that story until after Mom died. Then Jazmine started calling Yancy 'Cinderella' and that's when I weaseled the story outta him,"
Raleigh and Yancy both shot the former Jaeger a thankful look and Gipsy gave a perfectly evil grin. The brothers inwardly groaned…they were going to pay for this somehow someway.
The Jaeger made her way around her former Pilots and put her slender hands on the tops of their heads…ruffling their blond hair and making them both groan in exasperation.
"I see why you don't like that!" Raleigh griped.
"Then you should think twice about doing it to me!" Gipsy laughed, walking off and coming to a rest at her husband's side, nuzzling into it as he kissed her head.
"I don't see why you tried to split those two up," Yancy mused, "They are a very cute couple,"
"Oh…you didn't hear what happened to Hermann when he tried to separate those two during that movie night,"
"What happened?"
Raleigh leaned in closer so that Andrew couldn't hear.
"Striker nearly skewered him!"
"But what if Santa Claus can't find us here?" Sylph asked, blue eyes wide under a mess of black curls.
"I'm sure he'll find us just fine," Gipsy reassured her, tucking the little girl into bed.
"Yeah!" Romani added, "Remember in Mom's story…how he found Matt and Lauren when they were taken here for the Christmas with the Jaegers?"
"But that's just a story," Angel reminded him, "Something Mama made up!"
Striker and Gipsy shared a look before turning back to their kids.
"Ah, ol' St. Nick knows where every lil' anklebiter is," Striker reassured them, "'e found your uncle Chuck 'ere at the Shatterdome when 'e was little,"
"You're sure Daddy?" Sylph asked.
"I'm sure," Striker nodded, "Now, go t' sleep…Santa won't come if y're awake!"
"Let me read them the story first, Steven," Gipsy reminded him, "Then they can sleep,"
"Ah, right…right…forgot that,"
Gipsy pulled out an old, worn, faded hardback book from the bag and opened it, handing it to Striker. He cleared his throat before starting to read.
"'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;"
Cherno and Natasha sat in the bed with Galina and Luka in their lap, Cherno held a book in his large hands and he too read as Galina nestled her tiny blond-streaked head in his shoulder while Luka rested his brunet streaked head in his mother's.
"And Mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash."
Tacit leaned against the headboard while Luna sat beside her, Coyote sat in the chair on the edge of the bed with Cho, their younger daughter, while Tacit read.
"The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick."
Crimson held Mei to his side as Lei watched with heavily drooping eyes while Crimson turned the page of the book.
"More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
'Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!'"
Even though her children were teenagers now, Jazmine still carried on the Becket tradition. Matt and Lauren listened avidly as she continued to read.
"As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the housetop the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof."
Raleigh held Katsumi while Mako held Andrew and their unborn child. The middle Becket child continued from the book, not knowing he was following up where his sister had paused.
"As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack."
Aleksis handed the book to his wife and Sasha continued the reading while Anya snuggled up between the two.
"His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly."
Leatherback took the book from Otachi as the latter held Katana, Kat, closer to her chest, the young Kaiju child's green gaze watching her father eagerly and yet they seemed to droop with sleep.
"He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;"
Gipsy took the book from Striker and began once again.
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight…
She looked around at her children…all three were asleep and Gipsy quietly closed the book, getting up as she and Striker walked towards the door. As they began to shut the door…Gipsy said one last thing…
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"
Merry Christmas Everyone!
List of Jaeger/ Half-Jaeger Children
Striker and Gipsy: Angel (8), Romani (6), Sylph (4).
Tacit and Coyote: Luna (7), Cho (5)
Cherno and Natasha: Luka (6), Galina (4)
Crimson and Mei: Lei (8)
Kaiju Children
Otachi and Leatherback: Katana (11)
Human Children
Aleksis and Sasha: Anya (12)
Raleigh and Mako: Andrew (9), Katsumi (6)
Jazmine: Matt (17), Lauren (17)
Anyway, hope you liked it. If you did, please R&R! :)
Qui vállë tóquetë, ván tecë (If no review comes from y'all; no story comes from me)
Máriessë ar mára tecië
Fair well and fair writing
Elhini Prime signing off.