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An Unsatisfactory Holiday

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A large blanket of white had covered up almost everything in view from traffic-infested streets to neighboring rooftops outside. Snowplows had to work twice as hard to battle this kind of weather, the toughest so far in the season. The night landscape and holiday spirit made up for it though. Stars dazzled ever so bright from the heavens, giving off some sort of poetic vibe that soothed the moment for her.

Anna had finished adding the last of decorations to the Christmas tree with her nephew's help. They had been at this task for longer than it should have taken, but she welcomed the interaction with him nonetheless. His strength and size came in handy and made the progression seem much faster than it would have taken had she done it alone.

Her gaze shifted downward to him as she stepped off the chair, lighting the rest of the scented candles. She closed the open folds of her cranberry housecoat and tended to the hot chocolate still boiling on the stove. A touch at his shoulder and she caught his attention, blue eyes rising to meet hers. "That's enough, sweetie. No need to overdo it."

Steve shook his head in defiance. Nothing ever seemed to satisfy him, his young enthusiasm playing a part in it. "But I want this to be special."

"It already is. You helped make it. That's special enough." Anna pulled him to his feet and patted his cheeks in thanks. Then, as she did so, she detected his visage to be as frigid as the morning ice. "Your cold." She said with a slight gasp.

He nodded as she stated the obvious, pressing her light body close to his, letting her hands caress his cheeks. "And you're warm. And I have you to keep me as such."

They shared a smile, but only for a solid moment as Steve's expression changed upon staring out the balcony window. A lonely tear slid down from his eye and his embrace started to tighten about Anna's waist. It was so recognizable, yet so rare that she almost forgot what it was like to be hugged this way.

She returned his squeeze, pretending not to know what was the matter although she had a good idea what. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"My mum. Why couldn't she come?" Like any child, he demanded answers and he deserved them. He must have been thinking about her the whole day, not that she blamed him.

Anna wiped the tear away with her thumb and guided him to the couch. "Quite honestly, I never know what goes through that woman's mind. She's so stubborn. I did invite her. Only told me she'd think about it."

"Is she ashamed of me?" He asked, another tear coming to surface upon his face as he brought it to his knees.

She took his hand, brushing it with gentle strokes. "I can't answer that, Steve. Only she can."

"Maybe she couldn't make it. Maybe something came up." He seemed desperate for excuses, though Anna doubted any of them to be possible. Especially since he did not know Nina as well as she did. She did everything to make this night enjoyable for him. Since the mentioning of his absent mother, it was the direct opposite.

The more she watched Steve, the more she glowered at how her sister was doing this to him. He refused to drink, even eat anything she offered to him as they sat at the kitchen table. His silence made eating uncomfortable and to the point where she could no longer do so herself. She had made an extra plate in case Nina came, but it was still sitting there, untouched.

Anna glanced at the clock as it read past ten, then stared at the Christmas tree. "I know its not time yet. But would you like to open your presents?" Perhaps that would liven the mood a bit.
He gave a slow nod and stood.

They knelt beside the decorated tree, pulling out all the gifts underneath. He went first, not seeming too excited as he ripped the paper and tore off the laced ribbon.

"Thought you could use some new boxing gloves. Your other ones seemed so old and worn out." She crawled over to him and helped slipped them on. "A perfect fit for a handsome champion." Her lips planted a kiss at his forehead, trying to ease some of that tension.

None of it seemed to work and she was on the verge of running out of ideas. Next came her gift, which he handed to her without so much as a look. She opened it and smiled at the diamond earrings sparkling back at her.

"They're lovely." She whispered to him, hoping he would hear.

"Glad you like them." At last, he had said something, even if it was not much. His eyelids started to droop with a small yawn, a clear sign of exhaustion. He had lied down before she spread the sheets over his body and slid a pillow underneath his head. All that work must have done this to him.

"Good night." She kissed him once more before turning in for the night herself.

Even in daylight, the cemetery still gave her chills like no other. Since entering, she knew herself to be the only soul here. Most of the snow had melted thanks to the sun as it peeked out behind thinning clouds for the first time in weeks. Anna often paid visits here for her father and Nina did the same as well. However, this time she was not carrying a bouquet of roses to offer to her deceased parent as she paced with balled fists.

Right there, she spotted her sister standing in front of Richard's grave. She stood in silence with head bowed, not paying any mind to anything else.

Anna's presence seemed to startle her and she had already reached for the semiautomatic pistol hidden beneath her coat. She shook her head for them not to fight, mirroring Nina's cold gaze.

"Knew I'd find you here." She said in a stern tone, not taking her eyes off the assassin.

Nina withdrew her pistol, still seeming cautious. "What do you want?"

"That was pretty rotten what you did to your son yesterday. He was so looking forward to you showing up. Mind telling what happened?"

"Why should I waste my time when I got better more important things to do?" Nina crossed her arms, not seeming the least bit sorry.

Anna's fist tightened as she no longer held anything back. "He's your son, damn it. The least you could do was come. That's all he wanted." She was so upset she did not care she had cursed in front of her father's grave.

"He'll live. It's not like he's going to lose sleep over it." She smirked and released a frosted sigh into the air.

Anna was on the verge of striking her, but she managed to restrain herself. With one final shake of the head, she turned, but not before leaving Nina with something to think about. "You know, Nina. All my life you've been calling me a bitch. But the way I see it, you're the real bitch. Not me!"

She stormed off, refusing to look back at Nina's scowl. Tears fell from her eyes as she recalled what transpired last night. The hatred for her sister started to return, so many memories of anger, frustration, and torment. As she got farther away to where she could no longer see her sibling's figure, she took a deep breath to calm herself. Steve deserved better and she knew this. Then she recited the words in mind as Steve had said them yesterday, about Nina having a tough time showing she cared.

She stood by the gated entrance, wrapping her coat about her as a freezing gust of wind blew more rapid than it did seconds ago. From her pocket, she fished out the earrings still enclosed in the small case. They were the only things that mattered to her now. Her head rose to see Nina leaving the cemetery, pausing just as she took notice of her.

Nina clinched something between her fingers and tossed it into the air for Anna to catch. Hands held in her pockets, she brushed past her younger sibling without saying a single word.

Anna found it to be a bracelet, identical to the one Nina used to wear on her wrist as a child. She smiled as she watched her sister leave, wishing the woman well as her eyes adverted toward the sky.

"Merry Christmas, sweetie…" She whispered in reference to her nephew.

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Author's Notes: Took me longer than expected, but I hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did writing it. There were so many delays I thought I wouldnt be able to get it out in time before the holiday. It's just a one shot, so don't expect any more chapters unless I suddenly find the urge to make it into a chapter filled story. For those of you awaiting the next chapter to Fatal Instinct 2, it's coming soon so I havent forgotten.

As always, thanks a bunch for reading! And happy holidays everyone!