Author's Note: Merry Christmas, The Altrox! I used a few of your prompts and they were interesting to explore.

And as always with my unbetaed stories, I'm sorry for any grammar mistakes. Sometimes I get a little too "creative" with my sentence structure. DX

Just the Bartender

Griffin was just the bartender.

Not that he had a problem with that. It was a living and he liked his job well enough. Forget Me Not Valley was a quiet enough place, even if it wasn't truly the peaceful haven its residents liked to pretend it was. Griffin figured he could have done a lot worse in life than setting up shop in such a place. The Blue Bar was something of a respite for the valley folk. It was a place where they could relax after a hard day or try to drown away their sorrows. It was a place where they felt safe because they knew that Griffin would never judge them. The mustached man had heard many things over the years and had been told several secrets and confessions in confidence. Such was the life of ones who poured the brew. Some nights the alcohol would whisk away the inhibitions of the bar's patrons. Griffin enjoyed such nights as they gave him the chance to play his guitar in front of a happy audience. But most nights the patrons would just sit in quiet reflection, staring at their mugs while lost in thought.

Such was the night that everything happened and the valley became a bit darker. But Griffin had very little to do with the goings on. Or, at least that's what he had to tell himself. After all…

He was just the bartender…

The fateful night in question had been a snowy one. The Blue Bar's windows were frosted over and Griffin could hear the chilly wind whistle in between the cracks of the old walls. He only had three patrons at the moment, which was understandable considering the weather. Marlin sat at the table by the window with his head rested up against the wall watching the snow fall on the other side of the glass. The dark haired man was busy sharpening a knife, but did it slowly since he wasn't really paying attention. Grant and a young man who Griffin recognized, but couldn't quite place the name of sat at the counter. The accountant nursed his beer and occasionally let out a heavy sigh. Both Grant and Marlin were frequent customers and Griffin knew that both men had heavy hearts. From the look on the strange young man's face, the bartender knew that he was most certainly in a similar situation.

Griffin's barmaid, Muffy, filled up the man's mug and looked down at him in thought. The man looked like a traveler and wore his long, brown hair in a ponytail. He wasn't unattractive and Griffin knew that Muffy would try and see him as an opportunity. The poor woman had been looking for love for a very long time. All she wanted was a simple life with an honest man and the chance to raise a family. Time and again she would start a relationship only to come out of it with her heart a little more shattered each time. Still, the middle aged woman didn't let it dampen her spirits and continued to stay optimistic. Griffin admired her strength. There were many other things Griffin admired about her too, but he was a gentleman and kept that to himself.

Muffy decided to strike up a conversation with the mysterious man, "I haven't seen you around here before. What's your name, stranger?"

Startled, the young man looked up at her before looking down at the counter again, "C-cliff…"

"Cliff?" Muffy thought for a moment, "I think I've heard that name before. Don't you live in Mineral Town?"

Nodding, Cliff picked up his drink and downed it in one gulp. Muffy quickly refilled it.

"What's the matter, Cliff? You seem troubled." She sat the pitcher down and leaned against the counter.

Cliff just looked down at his drink.

"Do want to talk about it? The Blue Bar is a safe zone."

"I'm in love with a woman I can't have," Cliff blurted out.

Muffy was taken back and her shoulders slouched a little at this new information, but she kept her calm composure and her face still held a warm smile. Marlin briefly glanced at the back of Cliff's head with a look of understanding before settling back to watch the snow again. Grant just continued to stare out into space. Griffin picked up his bar rag and began to wipe some glasses. He knew that Cliff's story was one that he had heard many times before. Marlin raised his hand for another glass and he went to pour it for him since Muffy was now occupied. Marlin told Griffin to leave the pitcher and he was happy to oblige.

"Oh, I'm sure it's not that bad…" Muffy tried to console Cliff.

"She's my boss's wife."

Muffy now just looked incredulous.

"Err…I see how that could be a problem," she glanced over at Griffin to see if he could believe what he was hearing.

Griffin just shrugged.

Cliff downed his drink and asked for another. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I…I can remember the first time I ever saw Manna," he began, swaying a little bit on his stool as the alcohol took effect, "She was in the village square talking with her friends. I was on my way to the church, but I had to stop and watch. She was speaking at a million miles a minute. It boggled my mind that someone could talk so fast…"

The bells above the bar's door jingled as Cliff continued his tale and Muffy balked at the floodgates she had opened.

Griffin looked up to see Jack and Rock entering his bar. Marlin looked up too and instantly began to glare at Jack. The farmer was too busy laughing to notice.

"Man! Can you believe that weather?" Jack took off his hat to shake the snow off.

"I think it's the same system that hit Flower Bud Village. You know? The one that trapped everyone in the same area together? But what are we standing around talking about the weather for?" Rock laughed as he went up to the bar and sat beside the still lamenting Cliff, "Griffin, a round of your finest drinks! Tonight is Ol' Jacks here's bachelor party!"

Still laughing, Jack took a seat beside Rock.

If looks could kill…Marlin's eyes bored into the back of Jack's head. He strengthened the grip on his knife and began to sharpen it much faster. Embers flickered off the wet stone as the blade ran across it, but quickly died before they could catch. Grant continued to stare off into the distance. Cliff drank more and the story he was telling Muffy became slurred. Griffin poured Jack and Rock their drinks.

"Congratulations, Jack," he told the farmer as he poured, "Celia's a fine girl."

"Yeah, she is isn't she?" Jack grinned.

Rock ruffled Jack's hair in a brotherly way, "She's going to make our little boy here a man!"

"Who's to say she hasn't already?" Jack's grin grew wider.

Marlin clinched his drink in his hand so hard it began to shake.

"Oh ho ho! Do tell, brother!" Rock took a drink.

Griffin turned away and began to wipe the glasses once again. Rock had no idea about the irony in his last sentence. What had it been now…twelve years, thirteen years since Rock's father, Tim, had left the valley? It had been around the same time Grant's wife, Samantha, had left him. The popular theory was that they had left together, but the truth was a little more complicated than that.

It started twenty-two years ago. Griffin had been a young man then and had just opened his bar. At the time the only people who lived in the valley were Romana, her butler Sebastian, Jack's father Mark, and Rock's parents Tim and Ruby. Business had been very slow back in those days. The only regular patrons he had at the time were Mark and Ruby. Griffin alone knew of their escapades.

But he was just the bartender and it was none of his business.

It wasn't long before Ruby had twin boys. Griffin knew not how Mark had gained custody of Jack, but he did. Tim had been away during the birth and had no idea he had two sons (in the metaphorical sense, of course) until years later. When he learned the truth, Tim just left the valley with nary a word and nobody had seen him since. The timing with Samantha had just been a coincidence. She had run off with the chicken farmer from Mineral Town, Rod or something, and nobody was any the wiser.

"And Manna's body," Cliff hiccupped as he continued, "It's as firm and curvy as a woman half her age."

Muffy's face began to twitch.

"And Celia really knows how to…" Jack continued to describe his experience to Rock.

Marlin had drunk half of the pitcher at that point. There was untamable fury in his eyes as he sharpened his blade ever faster.

Grant just stared off into the distance.

The evening waned on and the snow continued to fall.

Despite what Marlin liked to believe, Griffin knew that Jack wasn't that bad of a lad. Even though the boy was busy describing the details of his…conquest… to Rock, it wasn't like he was the first man to ever do so. Griffin had heard many tales of…conquest…over the years, some even told by women, and he knew that the telling of the story didn't mean that the person telling it loved their partner any less. Was it disrespectful? Yes, but such is humanity. People liked to brag about what they had and sometimes about what they didn't. Reproduction capabilities were one of those things.

Griffin knew that Jack loved Celia and that the little boy boasting to his friend wasn't completely who he was. The bartender could remember a day when Jack had run through the valley in absolute panic because Celia had fallen down and scraped her knee. He remembered with a chuckle watching the young man scoop her up into his arms and dashing towards Doctor Hardy's. There had been one night in particular Griffin could remember where Jack had been his only customer at the time and the young man had explained to Griffin how he was always worried sick for Celia's safety. Celia had a very poor constitution and was constantly falling ill. Even the smallest paper cut could turn into an infection. Jack had broken down into tears before the night was through.

Marlin had also cried at Griffin's counter several times…for the exact same reasons…

"Duke…he keeps trying to set me up with…" Cliff hiccupped, "…this girl named Claire. Don't get me wrong, Claire's cute and all…but she's not…Manna…"

Cliff's situation was a tricky one; Griffin knew that well. Ultimately, the resolution to his problem came down to what Manna wanted. From what Griffin could gather from Cliff's drunken ramblings, Manna had no clue that her husband's employee had feelings for her and that she was in a happy marriage anyway. The only thing Cliff could do was to try and move on from her and the best way to do that would be to get the heck out of Mineral Town. Easier said than done, of course. Parting from the one you love was never easy, not to mention leaving a perfectly good job and home. But what else could he do? Live forever in the agony of unrequited love? If Cliff hadn't been so drunk, Griffin would have told him so.

But Cliff was extremely drunk and promptly face planted into the counter.

Jack waved his hand in front of Cliff, "He's out!"

"Eh, I'll drag him over to the inn later," Rock took a swig of his drink, "I'm sure Mom will enjoy the business. That Manna chick sounds pretty hot though."

"It's all over when the first drunk face plants, as I say!" Jack laughed, "Speaking of which, I should be heading out. I do have a wedding tomorrow, after all!"

"And a wedding night!"

Jack continued laughing as he took out the money for his drinks and handed the coins to Griffin. He bundled up and headed out into the cold. Thirty seconds later, Marlin put his whole wallet on the counter and ran out behind him. Muffy cleaned up the bar, happy to be free of Cliff's story. Rock was poking Cliff in the face in attempt to wake him up and Grant just continued to study the wall in front of him. Griffin looked at the swinging door and at the table where Marlin had just sat. On the table lay the wet stone, but no knife. The alcohol pitcher was also empty.

Griffin quickly put two and two together, but what could he do? He was just the bartender…

…But he had to try something.

Griffin ran towards the door, turning all heads save for Cliff's and rushed out into the snowstorm. He looked all around, but couldn't see anything in between the swirling flakes.

A bloodcurdling scream echoed throughout the valley.

He was too late anyway. Lights turned on and everyone rushed out of their houses towards the sound. White snow was dyed crimson in front of the farmland and Marlin's knife jutted out of Jack's chest, the silver blade as red as the snow.

Griffin was just the bartender and out of all of the things he had seen over the years, he never thought he would see the aftermath of a murder…

…Or to be the only one privy to the events that caused it.

The snowstorm died and the flakes fell softly.

Author's Note: …Merry…Christmas?

…I'm going to sit in the corner now.