Making Mother Happy on Christmas

AKA Christmas with the Testarossas

"Arf."

"Coming!" Arf quickly hid her box of dog biscuits and jumped over to Fate's side, shifting into her wolf form before lowering her head for Fate's hand. "What does that…woman want next?"

"Mother asked me to find an artefact for her." Fate closed her eyes, and called out her Barrier Jacket, tying her cape around her shoulders before taking hold of Bardiche. Their teleportation circle sprang into being beneath them, the coordinates already fixed in Fate's mind. They had a routine now.

"Maybe she should try getting her butt out of that chair and doing work herself for once," she heard Arf grumble before they vanished into a column of yellow light.

Panting, Fate swung Bardiche back, letting the expensive but non-magical necklace drop back amongst the other jewellery. Not an artefact, but someone had probably used it for magic before, hence why Bardiche had picked up some traces on the gem. She wiped her forehead, staggering a little before leaning against the broken glass counters. This was the eighth store she had visited, and from the time it didn't look like she could make it to a ninth before the stores opened for the morning shoppers.

"Fate!" Arf hissed from where she was keeping a lookout at the window. "Someone's coming!" They ducked out the back entrance, shutting the broken door as silently as they could before sneaking around onto the street again. Fate released her Barrier Jacket and tucked Bardiche into her pocket, trying to hopefully blend in with the early shoppers walking on the sidewalks of the shopping district.

"There are a lot of people this early," Fate murmured to Arf, who only wuffed, as she couldn't answer aloud and the observation wasn't worth commenting on telepathically. "I wonder why?" She paused at a crosswalk and read a sign hanging off a department store building. "Christmas sales? Already?"

There's only a few days left until Christmas, Arf pointed out.

Is it? I didn't notice…

With all the missions that woman keeps sending you on, I'm surprised you even noticed that you need to sleep every 24 hours.

Fate decided to refrain from answering, as she knew that Arf would only get annoyed if she tried to defend Mother. She loved Arf, but Arf just didn't understand the relationship between her and her mother.

"Hello!" A saleswoman smiled at her. "Are you looking for presents for your parents?"

"Um…" Fate wished that she could hide behind Arf, but the lady had already looked her in the eyes and it would be rude not to answer. "Y-yes…for my mother…"

"We have some nice clothing on sale, why don't you come in and see if you can find something you like?" The saleswoman coaxed, gesturing towards the glass sliding doors of the store. Arf growled, her thick ruff rising but Fate quickly wove her fingers into Arf's fur and scratched her neck soothingly.

"Ah…" the lady gulped, eyeing Arf with some trepidation, "Pets aren't allowed in the store…"

"She's…my aid dog," Fate lied, feeling her entire face grow red. Thankfully, the woman seemed to take her blush as embarrassment of admitting that fact instead of guilt at lying, and after a few hasty apologies she bowed them through the door.

Brushing her hand over the racks, Fate asked timidly, Arf, do you think Mother would like one of these?

Arf hesitated, then licked Fate's palm and rumbled soothingly in her throat. I'm sure anything you want to get that woman would be nice, Fate.

More boldly, Fate browsed through the racks, pushing aside outfits that were entirely unsuitable. Then one blouse she disregarded revealed a knitted purple sweater behind it that made her pause. Gingerly, Fate touched the sweater and felt threads of memory come to her—she had, with Linith's help, gotten Mother a purple sweater before. Mother must have liked it, because she had looked so happy and wore it often when they went out on picnics. This one even looked like it, although Fate hadn't seen Mother wear hers for a while. Maybe Mother had lost it…

Fate looked at Arf. Um…

Arf wagged her tail encouragingly.

Fate didn't even look at the price before handing it over to the cashier for gift-wrapping. But just as the man rang up the purchase and handed her the bag with a smile, Fate was struck by second thoughts.

Arf…maybe I should work harder to find that artefact instead…I think it would make Mother happier to get that than something like this…

You could give her both, Arf suggested, and although Fate knew Arf tried to hide her doubts she picked out the forced cheeriness anyways. I'm sure that no matter what, she'll be delighted with anything you get her.

"Fate."

Fate inched forward—she was ashamed of her hesitance, but her legs trembled when she crept towards Precia's chair. "Y-yes, Mother?"

Precia stared at her, then held a box up by the wrapped ribbon, as if it was a disgusting piece of garbage that she wanted to avoid touching as much as possible. "What is this?"

"It's…a Christmas present," Fate stammered. "B-because I'm s-sorry…I couldn't find the artefact, but…but I'm hoping that you'll like…like my present instead."

She flinched under the weight of her mother's cold eyes, but then Precia sighed, lowering the box into her lap. Fate scooted closer, watching Mother's face eagerly. Impatiently, Precia tore the wrapping paper and let the pieces fall onto the floor, lifting the lid to the box callously.

She stared at the sweater for so long Fate forced herself to speak past her terror and anticipation, "M-Mother? Do you…" The oddest combination of emotions flooded across her mother's face: shock, recognition then a warm affection that Fate longed for, that she hadn't seen for a few years now—then that loving expression changed abruptly.

Ripping fabric echoed through the room as shreds of purple wool landed violently on the ground, and Fate curled into a ball on the floor at the sound of Precia rising from her chair, her face pressed into the stone and her whimpering as the only sound in the ominous silence.

Arf almost missed the faint sound of the great doors opening, but when she did she quickly took her hands off her ears and raced over, catching her precious Fate when the girl staggered into the outer hall. Fate had put her cape back on to hide the worst of her injuries, but Arf could still see angry red weals winding down her arms.

"Fate!" Cradling Fate against her chest, Arf put her ears back in frantic concern.

Stirring slightly, Fate coughed, turning in Arf's grip until blank red eyes stared through her limp hair into Arf's. "Arf…we…we need to go…look for the artefact."

"We don't need to do anything for—" Arf erupted, knowing that Precia could hear her and not caring a whit about it.

Fate interrupted her, her voice so weak Arf didn't have the heart to speak over her. "I made Mother sad…because I didn't get her what she wanted. I keep making her sad…Arf, please." Although it broke Arf's heart to see the effort that took from her precious master, Fate straightened and smiled weakly. Standing on her own, Bardiche in hand, Fate whispered shyly with strains of broken love in her eyes, "I want to make Mother smile on Christmas."

Author's Note: ….I'll fix it, I promise! The next part will be What Mom Wants for Christmas, AKA Christmas with the Harlaowns…