A/N: Happy Holidays, Everyone. As promised. Here is the Christmas Story I promised to you all. Although I had started off with the idea of a One-shot story...I got some many ideas flooding through my head, I had to take off my cap and noticed it wasn't a Santa Hat, it was an Ari Moriarty Hat*. So instead I decided instead of giving you the long one-shot...I'd do a collection of stories under a unifying theme.

That being said, I hope you enjoy this collection and just to warn you. This will go a little slow at the start and become very dark as time goes on...But with Darkness, there is light...And Christmas stories are supposed to be uplifting...

That said, Because this is a late Christmas gift, I will Double Post tonight, update Chapter 3 Tomorrow with my main fic "I Don't Belong Here." Then update every other day.

Thanks to DualSelf, My beta, for assisting me on this work.

Disclaimer: I own Daniel, Rebecca and Charles Waldo, Siobhan Murphy, Elizabeth Yamata, and the Freakin' Easter Bunny. magmon1000 owns William, Daniel, and James Bond Sykes.

*Copyright and TM Ari Moriarty**

**No, not really.

"'Twas the Year Before, On Christmas"
Act 1-Blue Christmas
Chapter 1

Scott M. Matheson Courthouse, Salt Lake City, Utah

"Next case," Judge Wilhelmina Brant said.

"State v. Waldo, Charles Thomas. 4 counts of Assaulting a Law Enforcement Officer; Illegal Possession of a Deadly Weapon; Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Robbery," The Bailiff said.

"What happened to the good old days of just going to the mall for Christmas Gifts?" The Judge said. "How does the Defendant Plead?"

"Definitely Not Guilty!" Charles said. "I wish to…"

"Son…do yourself a favor…Limit yourself to one word answers…Ms. Jenkins, where are The People on Bail?"

"Your Honor…Due to the circumstances involved…The possession of these illegal sais…" Carmela Jenkins, the prosecutor said.

"Sai…" Charles corrected. The judge glowered at him. "With all due respect, Your Honor…that was a one word answer. Sai is used for both the singular and the plural…"

"So's 'Be quiet'…" The judge said, already bored.

"…The People request $2 Million bail," Ms. Jenkins said.

"Mr. Shepard?" The judge said, referring to Charles's Public Defender.

"Your Honor, we seek immediate dismissal as Ms. Jenkins is still REFUSING to acknowledge the fact that my client has Immunity through Diplomatic…"

"Until the State Department decides to verify that what Mr. Waldo signed was legal, he gets to be tried."

"That's another thing, Your Honor…My client is a juvenile and should be remanded to that court…" Shepard said.

"Mr. Shepard…I've read his Juvenile file…quite frankly…he reeks of escalation…Plus this…'Immunity Deal…'" She sighed. "Until this gets worked out between you, The People, and the State Department…I can't grant ROR…"

"Your Honor…It's Christmas…" Shepard said.

Judge Brant looked at Shepard. "Defendant stays in Adult Court and Bail is set at $750,000 cash or bond…Merry Christmas…" She said blandly.

"Well, thanks for trying…" Charles said bitterly.

"Look, Kid…you didn't do yourself any favors…We probably would have gotten a lower bail or you released on your own recognizance if you'd kept your mouth shut. As it is…"

Charles smoldered for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was as quiet as the grave. "I still see my best friend being shot…I can't close my eyes to sleep because of it…The police have acted like I am a criminal…Me…when they should have realized their undercover was starting to go a little off the rails. So Mr. Shepard…I would thank you for the job you did…and wish you a very Merry Christmas…but even Harvey Birdman would have done better…"

Shepard looked at Charles as he was taken away by the correctional officers. His parents weren't there…They spoke to him earlier in the day and said they were upset with him and if he had been ROR then he wasn't going to spend Christmas with them.

The correctional officers took him through the hallway to the car that was going to take him back to his jail. Then they took him to the Jail Facility he was going to stay on behalf of the State. Since his parents couldn't afford that high a bail.

He said nothing as he was taken out of the car and escorted to his cell. The insults and/or invites to dates or other types of liaisons were hurled at him…and still…he said nothing.

Finally, the handcuffs were removed and as he was led in, he said sincerely. "Thank you…" to the correctional officers.

They said nothing.

When the door shut, he said sincerely, "Merry Christmas…"

They just stared at him. He might as well have told them what they could go do with themselves…

They left. Charles went to his cot and sat down.

He started sobbing.

He had held in all his pain and suffering and loneliness and what guilt he could until getting back here. He was so ashamed. He had let his parents down. He had gotten Siobhan hurt. He…

"Why, God? Why?" He asked.

Now it was Christmas…

But he had no one to celebrate it with… His parents were angry at him. His friend was in the hospital. Trevor and Corrine were in California for the Holidays…

Charles was alone. He had nobody…

"Nobody wants me…"

…

"Why…?" He asked.

He wished he could get out and be with a girl who would love him or at least be with his family.

But that wouldn't happen. No girl would want him. No family would ever care for him.

Charles just curled up into a ball…and felt like an ugly, hideous thing…

Maybe… He thought. Maybe I did something wrong…and I don't deserve Christmas…

…

All I wanted for Christmas… was to be happy. His eyes then shut…exhaustion finally taking him.

Amagi Inn

"No! I'm not interested in a boyfriend!" Amagi Yukiko said. She was at the Inn when a couple of waitresses who weren't that much older than her started talking about their boyfriends…and more importantly what their boyfriends would do with them starting at 21:00.

But then Yukiko walked by and they mentioned about how Yukiko could use a boyfriend. They were whispering, of course, but they were a little too loud and Yukiko bristled and snapped that last at them.

"Yuki-chan?" Mariko, her mother had said. "What seems to be the matter?" The waitresses beat a hasty retreat.

"Nothing, Mom…" Yukiko said, unconvincingly.

"Ahh, I see…You seem to be envious of the waitresses who have boyfriends…"

"I'm not envious, Mother…" Yukiko said. Adopting a formal tongue when she was really annoyed but wanted to show her Mom respect.

"I see…Then perhaps you should go be with Chie-chan…Have a sleepover… Instead of being lonely here at the parties…"

"You're saying I'll get in the way…" Yukiko was wearing her pink floral Kimono, as she did when she helped out at the Amagi Inn, but her Mother had indicated that Yukiko should enjoy herself…

"Your Mother is not saying that at all…" Hikaru, her father said. He, like Mariko and Yukiko, was dressed in a Kimono, since it was supposed to be an important time of year. "If you choose not to have a boyfriend, then that is fine…but you should at least get out…Christmas is the one holiday where your services are welcome…but not required…"

She just looked at her parents. "Chie's waiting for Daitaka-senpai at her house…Since this is supposed to be the hottest Date Night of all Date Nights…"

"Well, I give up…Chie-chan will never become a lady…" Mariko said, mostly tongue-in-cheek as Chie was not Mariko's daughter. She only wanted Chie to not be a bad influence on Yukiko. "Ohh…I see… you're envious of Chie-chan, aren't you…?"

Yukiko looked at Mariko with narrowed eyes and then said stiffly, "I shall thank you not to analyze me, Mother…" and then walked off to her room.

"Well, too bad," Hikaru said. "She'll miss the parties…"

"I've already asked Kasai to save her some food. If I hadn't said anything, it would have been someone else…"

"Why doesn't she want a boyfriend?" Hikaru asked.

"Would you if all the boys…" Mariko started to say.

"And from what Chie-chan has said, a few girls…" Hikaru interjected.

"…were chasing you due to trying to fulfill their baser needs or are interested in you just because you're an Amagi?"

"I only married into the Amagi family…And if I remember correctly, I was the one being chased…"

"You were so shy…not like…HIM," Mariko said.

Hikaru sadly chuckled. "Do you think Yuki-chan will ever find a boy for herself…I'd really hate to arrange her to some spoiled snot-nosed rich kid…"

"Karu-chan…She's looking…she just doesn't know it consciously…but she's looking for the one boy who would treat her as an equal. A prince…"

"Just as long as he doesn't whisk her away to some dangerous place in America. The news was talking about some boy being arrested for something involving martial arts and weapons…"

"That sounds awful…Did they…?"

"No, they didn't say his name…I swear to you, Mari-chan…It would have to be a deep misunderstanding before I were to let a boy like him pursue our Yuki-chan…"

"Maybe that would be his Christmas gift…complete redemption…" She said as a sad joke.

The two of them went back to the party.

Yukiko was in her room. She was reading the international news on her cell phone.

A boy like this…whoever it is…he's not a prince. He wouldn't protect me. He would have no respect, no love for me. I don't want a boy like him. He's like all the rest¸ she thought.

Then she thought, Whatever happened to that boy Chie wrote to?

Yukiko was brushing her hair before bed, it having grown considerably in the last year.

Chie says she likes my hair longer. She says it would make any boy fall for me. I don't want any boy…

Yukiko took off her Yukata and got into her futon in her T-shirt and boxers.

I want a prince…I thought Chie was my prince…

But even my parents can't give me that for Christmas…

Sleep claimed Yukiko.