(A/N) This one was written largely as an experiment.
It also has Gaz in it, so it may not be to everyone's liking. If it's not to yours, I suggest you hit the Back Button and look for "Stille Nacht."
Disclaimer: I don't own Invader Zim, and not only that, everyone old enough to be on this site knows the truth about Santa Claus.
This one comes to you from the Ghost of Christmas Future.
Christmas Day Warm Fuzzies
In his later years, Membrane began to ease up somewhat on his anti-Christmas stance. It wasn't that he liked Christmas itself any better than he used to. Just as he was coming to realize that he didn't get together with members of his family as often as he could have, he also realized that these days, fewer and fewer of them remained.
For Membrane, Christmas was now about family, extended as well as immediate.
Sprigs of holly and a few candles here and there acknowledged the Season late each December, but even now Membrane would not bend far enough to allow a Christmas tree or a stocking inside the house.
Gaz was even less inclined to honor the holiday season. She made no Christmas treats. She didn't visit anyone because she still had no friends. She bought gifts for nobody except her father. Year after year, she spent the week of holidays from school holed up in her room, tightly hunched over her video game as loud, angry heavy metal music pounded against her walls as if it was trying to escape.
It was Christmas Day and Gaz was almost at the 9th level of her father's Christmas gift this year, Bloodsucking Vampire Piggies from Hell, when her door opened. Only the fact that no one now lived in the house but herself and her father kept Gaz from going completely berserk and flying into her visitor's face like a cornered rat.
"Gaz? He's here."
Gaz said nothing.
"You really need to come downstairs and see him, Gaz. He IS family, after all."
Gaz refused to look up. "His voice is stupid."
"He's the only one you have, daughter."
"Thank GOD for that. He talks and talks and talks forever and it's always about NOTHING!"
"You remember what we talked about? The doctor doesn't know how much longer he'll be with us."
"It'll be good riddance."
The look of pain that crossed Membrane's face was clearly visible even through his goggles. "Listen, please, Gaz. He came all this way to see us... in this cold... even after the doctor ordered him not to go outside. Do you know why he's here? Do you? He especially wants to see you... and he even brought you something extra nice this year. You can at least say 'Merry Christmas' to him, can't you?"
Gaz groaned, shaking her head.
"Well, wish him a merry Christmas for my sake then? Please?"
"Okay, okay... but I'm ONLY doing this for you. And I'll make good and sure he knows that's the reason too!"
"That's my girl!" Although Membrane beamed broadly, he seemed to be forcing the words. He turned and headed downstairs, leaving the door ajar.
Gaz could now hear that voice, that deathly irritating VOICE of his all the way up here. Her stomach lurched; already she was sick of hearing it. Reluctantly she stood up; may as well get this over with.
With her GameSlave still in her hand, Gaz slammed the door and made an elaborate show of walking slowly down the stairs. With a loud sigh she stomped into the living room and threw herself at the couch without any consideration for the person already sitting there. As she swung her feet up onto the coffee table she made sure to kick the visitor sharply in the calves.
Immediately switching her GameSlave back on and preparing to bury herself in it once more, Gaz snapped, "Father said I had to wish you a 'merry Christmas' Grandfather now where the fuck is my present you useless babbling old gimp?"
The End
(A/N) So it's "cute" and "funny" when Gaz abuses her brother even when he's being all nice to her, is it? Let's see the reviews when she's treating another relative that way.
