I originally wanted to name this "Let's Get the Sh*T Kicked Out of Us by Love!" after Christmas Classic Love Actually, because I'm a terrible sap (and it kinda fits tbh). But I figured that might not be the...best idea, so it's Mariah Carey lyrics instead.

Anyways! Here's the result of what I tried to write during nanowrimo this year, specifically with the holidays in mind. It is...probably going to be wildly AU, because I'm once again drawing from the little we know about the Oni and coming up with a completely hypothetical situation. But you know what I am tired of being sad over these kids and their loose story ends and Garmadon and Lloyd and their current arc that gave me zero closure so! This is gonna be a happy fic.

...mostly. It takes place after something that's pretty angsty (which will be explained as it goes) and it's the Garmadon family, so. It's gonna be mostly happy though, I promise.

Also! I really love Christmas. That's gonna be noticeable.

"Well, at least no one got incinerated by a dragon this time."

Sensei Wu gives Cole a dry look, and he ducks his head. "I mean, it was a lot easier with the Firstbourne coming to us, so we should all be grateful, which I am, and-"

"Cole," Wu says, smiling faintly. "I'm not upset."

Cole relaxes, a faint smile playing across his face. "Oh, good," he says. "I was just - everything that happened with your family, you know, and…"

Cole trails off, staring into the glass-windowed hospital room. If he had his choice, he'd be at the other two rooms down the hall, because that's where his brothers are, but someone needs to check on Sensei Wu.

"I got them back, this time," Wu says, quietly. "That's what matters."

Granted, he's in a much better mood than Cole had been expecting, after the Oni crisis that potentially could've snowballed into the apocalypse if they hadn't gotten on top of it in time (heck, it still could - Cole is very uncomfortably aware that the Oni that paid them a visit are only a few of many).

But they're all alive. And Cole guesses Sensei Wu has enough to be thankful for, given that his brother isn't a psychotic shell of a human being anymore.

Cole stares at the person in the hospital bed again, the human features wildly disconcerting. He'd just gotten used to four-armed Oni Garmadon again, too. Not that he's complaining. It's nice to know that he's not going to be jumping out of the sky and trying to murder them anymore.

Cole glances back, down the hallway to the room he knows the others are crowded in. It's a good deal more than nice, he knows that. It's a near miracle. He'd almost started screaming when Lloyd had faltered against his father during that last battle, and when-

Cole swallows. Anyways. Kai had started screaming, and he's probably still lecturing Lloyd within an inch of his life as to why trying to save Garmadon again is never, ever going to be worth Lloyd's own life.

Cole sneaks a glance at Wu, chewing on his lip. He'll never say it, but he agrees with Kai — Lloyd's gone through enough for the man in the hospital room. If it hadn't been for Wu and the Firstborne…

Well. It worked out alright.

(Except for the fact that everything's nowhere near alright, and isn't going to be for a long, long time, probably, but at least they're all gonna be here to work it out together this time.)

"You're quiet," Wu says, suddenly breaking the silence. "Is there something troubling you?"

Cole shakes his head. "No, no, I'm fine," he says. "I just - it's been a long day, I guess."

"That it has," Wu sighs, his eyes looking ages older as he watches his brother. "That it has."

"But it was a good one, right?" Cole says. "Good won out, like it always does. Just like you said it would."

"Yes, well," Wu gives a quiet huff of laughter. "I must admit, even I had my doubts."

Cole shuffles his feet. "Well, we didn't," he says, trying to forget the few crippling moments when they did, when Cole thought he'd have to take over as leader again, then suddenly realized that he didn't even know if he could do that-

"Lose faith in you, that is," Cole finishes, awkwardly.

Wu looks at him, his eyes kind. "And I cannot express my appreciation for you all enough," he says. "But the credit for this one goes entirely to you, my students." He looks back at the window, musing. "Though I do wonder if it's appropriate for me to still call you that. You've all come such a long way."

"Well, we did raise you at one point," Cole says, fighting back a grin. "Kinda made us realize where Lloyd got it from-"

Wu bats Cole's knee lightly with his staff, and Cole breaks off into snickers. "Your maturity is still in question," Wu mutters. "Such that I wonder whether you'll all ever gain any."

"I think we do alright," Cole says. "I mean, some of us do," he adds, thinking of a few certain members of his team.

…all of them, actually, except maybe Zane, but he's seen the look in his eyes sometimes.

Wu smiles, a full, real one this time. "Regardless, I'm very proud of you all," he says, with quiet sincerity. "And I'm proud of you, Cole, as I always am."

Cole blinks at that, his heart swelling up at the words. "U-um, thanks," he says lamely, ducking his head.

Wu looks amused. "And I am grateful for your presence as well," he says, knowingly. "But you should join your teammates."

Cole turns red. "Oh no, I'm fine here, really-" he protests.

"Cole," Wu says, kindly. "I'm fine. I suspect Jay will be missing you, as will the others, though."

Cole feels a prick of guilt, and a flash of relief. "Of course, Sensei," he says, making to leave. He pauses, giving Wu the customary bow of respect. Wu returns it.

"Keep an eye on them for me, will you," he says. He pauses, looking away briefly. "My nephew, especially."

Cole nods. "I'll keep both eyes out," he says. Wu nods his thanks, and turns back to the room, watching the steady vitals of his brother through the window.

Cole hesitates. "Sensei…will he be alright?"

Wu doesn't look at him, his expression grave. "Physically, he should be fine. They want to keep him quarantined until he's stabilized, but my brother has survived far worse than this."

"Oh," Cole says.

Wu continues. "Emotionally, however…" his voice trails off, and he closes his eyes. "I suppose that will depend on how much he remembers." Wu turns back to Cole, his expression lighter. "Though that's nothing for you to worry about. Go be with your friends, Cole."

Figuring there's nothing more he can do (not that he's done much) Cole heads back down the hall. He can hear his teammates' voices even before he opens the room's door, loud as they are. He cracks it open, pausing as the familiar sound of their conversation washes over him, immediately putting some part of him at ease he hadn't even realized was anxious.

Cole spares Wu one last glance, biting his lip as he watches his master stand alone in the hall, keeping watch over his recovering brother. Wu looks back, and gives him a small smile, as if to say get in there already.

Cole returns it, letting go of the door and walking into the room. He's met with a chorus of greetings, bright smiles from his teammates where they're all sprawled around Jay's hospital bed - a sharp contrast to the expressions they've worn the past few weeks. Nya is sitting at the head of the bed next to Jay, Zane on the chair next to her as they flip through one of the magazines together. Lloyd and Kai are taking up the bottom half of the bed, and seem to be just finishing up wrestling for Kai's phone.

"Good to see things are orderly as usual here," Cole grins, taking a seat on the bed across from Zane.

"Maybe we'd behave if someone didn't abandon us for an hour," Kai says, releasing Lloyd from his admittedly gentle chokehold.

"Excuse me for being responsible for five minutes," Cole rolls his eyes. "'And - hey, what do you think you're doing out of bed?"

Lloyd makes a face where he's sitting at the foot of Jay's bed, even as he winces, clutching his side where Cole knows he's got enough stitches to knit his own sweater with. The bandages on his arms and middle are conveniently hidden by the oversized hoodie he's got on, which looks suspiciously like Kai's. Actually, the closer Cole looks, the sweatpants Lloyd is wearing look a little like his-

"Aw, leave 'em alone, dirt clod," Jay says, grinning up at him, pushing slightly at the bandages that wind around his head. "He's keeping me company in my hour of need, unlike some so-called friends-"

"Alright, geez!" Cole says, as Nya whacks Jay lightly in the arm with a hospital pillow. "I'm here now, so go ahead and enslave me to whatever you're making these poor saps do."

"It is bold of you to assume that we're actually indulging him," Zane says, the hint of a smile on his face as he flips through the magazine.

Jay throws his hands up. "All they've been doing is watching dumb videos and sending them to Faith," he whines. "And she's blaming me for it! She keeps calling me 'zat annoying leetle blue ninja, who zounds like a bug'-"

"That's just a butchering of her accent and you know it," Cole snorts. "Have some respect."

"Jay doesn't know what that is," Kai says.

"No one on this team does," Nya mutters, as Jay sputters at Kai, reaching vainly for him.

"-will get out of this bed to hit you, fire brain, the IV can suck it-"

Amidst that disaster, Lloyd scoots closer next to Cole on the bed, his expression wavering. "Were...were you with my uncle?" he murmurs quietly, as the others burst into loud laughter again.

Cole nods. "Yeah, I talked with him."

Lloyd bites his lip. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine. A lot better than he was earlier."

Lloyd nods, falling silent as he looks down at the bed. Cole studies him, watching the way his jaw works.

"Garmadon looks like he's gonna be fine, too," he adds, careful to keep his voice low enough so that only Lloyd can hear.

Lloyd's hands fist tightly in the blankets, a flicker of some raw emotion crossing his face. "Thanks," he finally breathes, looking away.

"No problem," Cole says, ruffling Lloyd's hair and smiling as he scowls, ducking away. Cole shakes his head, leaning back as Lloyd joins in whatever heated debate they're having now.

He should probably make a call to his own father. Winning the fight is good and all, but nothing sets you at ease like knowing that your family's alright.

Cole watches Jay gesture wildly, grinning as if the bruises and bandages that decorate him aren't even there.

Yeah, he should call his dad.