It was Christmas morning, and the light gleaming through the thin curtains was bright. It shone on to the face of the woman curled up in the large bed, and she frowned in her sleep, attempting to bury her head underneath the thick comforters to block out the light. But to no avail. Blinking, she pried open her eyes, wincing at the white light from outside. What time is it? How long have I been asleep? Reaching out from the bed, she groped for the tiny travel clock on the side table. 9:10AM. Sighing, Murrue turned to face the one who slept beside her, a small smile curving her lips. Her husband was sleeping peacefully, scarred face wearing a smile of it's own.

That's right, we did get to sleep rather late last night, didn't we? Or, more accurately, this morning...The young woman stretched out in the soft bed, closing her eyes. Boy, was she ever tired. But...satisfied. Reaching to the side of the bed, she felt for the nightdress that had been so casually discarded the night before. After all, it wouldn't do for her children to see her like this... As she donned the garment, she heard a soft giggle from the doorway. Two pairs of eyes were focused on her, one blue, one marigold. "Hello there," she whispered. "Merry Christmas.." Sitting up a little, she beckoned to her daughters. Their little faces lit up, and both girls ran towards her, jumping up on the bed and wriggling under the covers. "Merry Christmas, Mommy!" Rin chirped, nuzzling close. Murrue smiled, kissing the little girl lovingly. Beside her, there was an annoyed grumble from a lump under the bedcovers. "What time is it?"

Amber giggled, moving across and snuggling close to her father. "It's Christmas, Daddy! Time to wake up!"

Mwu grumbled again, but stuck his head out from under the comforters, blonde hair in disarray. "It might be, but I bet it's still too early.." But he smiled anyway, ruffling his youngest daughter's curly hair. "Merry Christmas, sweetie." Over Amber's head, he grinned at his wife, who smiled back, cheeks pinking. He had already wished her Christmas greetings...rather early that morning, when they had been laying together in each other's arms. She had giggled softly when he had told her, turning to nuzzle kisses to his neck. "Merry Christmas to you too..." she had whispered, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. "I love you.." Mwu's hand had found her hair, stroking it gently as she fell asleep. "I love you too..."

Rin's little voice brought the two of them back to the present. "Mommy, Daddy? Did...did Santa find us? He...didn't get lost, did he?" Murrue smiled, pushing back the covers and pointing to the corner of the room. Sitting against the blue-painted wall were carefully wrapped gifts, spilt into two piles. The two little girls' faces lit up in sheer delight, and they scrambled from the bed, dashing over to where the presents waited. Their parents sat up a little in bed, she leaning against his chest, to watch the children's happiness.

"Do you remember our first Christmas together?" Murrue murmured quietly, closing her eyes. Mwu chuckled. "Sure do. We were still on Archangel, weren't we? Up at Copernicus. I think Rin was only a few weeks old..." His wife nodded, remembering the day. Everyone had been given the day off shift, and more than a few crewmembers had gone out into the city to enjoy the festive spirit. Among those were the ship's captain and second-in-command, along with their three-week-old daughter. The two of them had wandered the beautiful city, baby Rin held in her mother's arms. The little girl's blue eyes had been wide, staring around herself at the city she had been born in. Her parents had shown her the large, beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the central plaza, and Rin had gurgled softly, as if she had known exactly what it was. Mwu and Murrue had sat down on a bench together, watching the multi-coloured lights twinkle in the huge tree. Neither of the two had bought each other gifts, deciding that each other was all they needed. Each other, and their daughter. And it was the same this year.

"Merry Christmas.." Murrue said softly, kissing her husband. He smiled, resting his head on hers. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart.."

Later that day, when the two little girls were playing with their presents, Rin besotted with her new doll's house, Mwu got up from the sofa, and slipped on his jacket. Murrue frowned, confused, and made as if to join him, but he shook his head, reaching for her hand and squeezing gently. "It's okay. There's just something I need to do. I'll be back soon..." Kissing her lightly, he left the house, his wife watching after him.

He drove for at least half-an-hour, having rented a car for this purpose the previous day. He drove until he left the small town behind, the car making it's way up into the hills. There was somewhere special he needed to be - somewhere he hadn't been since he had been ten years old. Up ahead, he could see it, the enclosed garden stretching out over several acres, and his heart clenched. I promised myself...I'd never come back here, but look at me. I guess that being here, with the family I have now, made me remember the family I used to have...

Parking the car outside, the blonde man made his way into the quiet, still garden. Although it had been twenty years since he had been here last, his feet knew exactly which route to take, as though it had been only yesterday. Walking down the paths, passing many memorials covered with flowers and mementoes, he continued until he found what he was looking for. It was large and elaborate, covered with moss and other lichens. The inscription was faded, almost illegible, but he could still read the name.Al Da Fllaga. Smiling ruefully, shaking his head, Mwu gazed at the monument for a moment.

"Hey, Dad," he said softly. "Bet you didn't think you'd see me here again. Been a long time, huh?" Reaching out, he brushed away some of the moss. "And to be honest, part of me wonders why I did come back. But I guess...that having my own family made me realise. That however bad a father you were, you were still my father. I suppose...it took becoming a dad myself to understand that. My wife...if she knew I'd been coming here, she'd have wanted to come with me. Since you're her father-in-law. I wonder if you or Mom would have liked her? She's a wonderful person, and I have her to thank for finally being able to understand what love was, since neither you nor Mom ever showed me. But then again...did either of you understand love either?"

Sighing, he shrugged. "I guess I'll never know, huh? But I have her, and I have two children of my own, and that's all I'll ever need." He took a deep breath. "I...this is...I wanted to say...that I forgive you. I still don't know why you did the things you did, but you must have had your reasons, right? It's just a pity you had your priorities mixed up" Reaching into the pocket of his coat, he pulled out a small candle and lit it, placing it on the memorial, then got to his feet. "Merry Christmas, Dad.."

Turning, he walked away, away from his past, and back to where his present and future were waiting for him.

When he got back to the house, Murrue was in the kitchen, making snacks for the girls. He could hear their happy chattering and laughter from the other room, and smiled. Murrue noticed him come in, and moved to help him take off his jacket, kissing his cold cheek. "Were you able to finish what you wanted to do?" Nodding, he wrapped her up in his arms, bringing her close. She squeaked in surprise, the sound coming out muffled, but relaxed into the embrace, winding her own arms around him.

"I love you.." he murmured into her hair, breathing in the scent of roses. Murrue smiled, closing her eyes and tightening her embrace. "I love you too.."

The two stood there in each other's arms for what felt like forever, he needing the comfort, and she knowing, in some way, what it was he wanted. Then, breaking free a little, she took his hand, pulling him towards the other room, and the love of his family.

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( Hmmm...That didn't turn out like I thought it would...I hope it's okay..

Please read and review! )