Disclaimer: I do not own Legion of Super-Heroes.

Almost done.

New Earth, 3008. Christmas Eve night. The Ranzz Apartment. Imra Ranzz had just put her son Graym to bed. She was wearing red pajama pants and a white tee with a yellow symbol of Saturn. She walked into the living room. Her husband, Garth, was watching a rerun of Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer 2: Cousin Mel's Revenge on the couch. He was wearing black sweat pants, white socks, and a black shirt with the picture of a skull with wings. On TV, Cousin Mel was singing I'm Gonna Get That Fat Sucka, when Imra clicked it off.

"Hey!" He yelled. "I was watching that!"

"We have work to do." She reminded him.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, the narrating thing." He said, and sighed. She sat down on the couch next to him. "I'm still kinda ticked about the first gig I had." Garth picked up a gingerbread man from the plate their son left for Santa and bit into the head. "One fat joke after another. Can you believe it?" He said with his mouth full. She smirked. "What?"

She laughed. "Keep putting away those cookies and you will have a weight problem." She warned.

"Not you too." He groaned, before he grabbed her closer. "My wife the comedienne. If I hadn't married you for your looks I would've married you for your sense of humor. Or not." He joked.

"And if it hadn't been your for your looks and I would've never said I do." She joked back. "Come on. We haven't introduced ourselves."

"They know who we are." Garth objected.

"Not everyone will."

"Fine." He gave in. "My name's Garth Ranzz…"

"And I'm Imra Ardeen Ranzz."

"The story we're about to tell you isn't about us. But about our counterparts on another Earth." Garth explained.

"Two kids much more inexperienced then us." Imra added. "But well versed in drama."

"You call that well versed?" Garth rolled his eyes.

"Anyway." Imra continued. "We're about to tell you about the first Christmas they really spent together."

"We'd tell you about ours, but this website doesn't have an X rated section." Garth smirked. She playfully slugged his arm.

"Don't be gross. So, sit tight, and listen to how a bad situation tuned around while you listen to some…"

12. Christmas Jazz

Garth banged his head onto the monitor keyboard. And he did so again and again and again. He couldn't believe it. Here it was Christmas Eve, and he was stuck in HQ, when he should've been on his way home to Winath to see his family.

"Stupid Nemesis Kid." He mumbled.

The first Christmas after his sister had returned. The first Christmas that they were really going to spend as a family after so many years of overdone drama. And all because he signed some stupid holo that he thought was for donations to a children's hospital.

The doors hissed open.

"Garth?" A voice asked. His eyes lit up.

"Imra!" He cried.

At the door was his beloved Imra. A sight for sore eyes.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as she walked in. His eyes lost that glow and they sunk back in the cold mug of chocolate at his right. He mumbled his problems and she took a seat next to him.

"Imra, I've got a problem." He moaned.

"What?"

"I've got the Christmas blues."

Normally blue was his favorite color, but he was really starting to hate. Imra, ever the compassionate one, lent her ear.

"Stupid Nemesis Kid made me sign a stupid signature to get me stuck on stupid monitor duty on stupid Christmas eve when I should be on a stupid ship visiting my stupid sister. Wait-!" He tried to correct himself.

"Come on. It's not that bad." Imra tried to relieve his pain.

"It's worse." He moaned.

"You could open one of your gifts now. I won't mind." She said. She'd spent practically a ship load of money on him. And vice versa.

"Thanks. But no thanks." He hung his head down. "Go off and do whatever you were planning to do. Don't worry bout me."

"But…" She trailed off as she sensed his sadness.

What was this? When stuff like this happened he was usually yelling and cursing. Not moping. Come to think of it, he usually acted sad at Christmastime. But so did a lot of people. But this, it was worse. Then an idea popped.

She stood up.

"Come on." Imra said.

"Huh?"

"We're going out."

"Wha?" He blushed so bad they should've named a new color after it. "But the-"

"Forget it. Let's go."

She pulled his arm and the two were out.

…

As Monstress had paused her holo of Christmas Vacation, and went to get a refill of cocoa, she'd stopped and overheard the problems the two were dealing with. A spark lit in her head, and she rushed to Nemesis Kid's room. He was still packing and humming to himself when she burst in.

"Hart!"

"Gah!" He jumped out of his skin.

"Where do you get off?" She asked.

"What? What are you-"

"Don't play the innocent!" Candi told him as she waved a large green finger. "Where do you get off tricking Lightning Lad into monitor duty on Christmas Eve, when he should be out there celebrating with his family?"

"But-"

"Do you realize what that poor boy is like right now. He practically cried!"

"Really?" Hart laughed.

"That isn't funny! How long has it been since he had the chance for a normal holiday with his family?"

"I know, but-"

"Do you have any idea how much trouble the Ranzzes have gone through the past few years?"

"Yes but-"

"So how could keep him apart from his older brother and his twin sister during the time of the year when families should be together?" Monstress demanded as she back Hart into a corner.

"I have a family too, you know!" Hart yelled. Candi backed up.

"You ever think that maybe I have family too? That maybe I'd like to spend some time with them during the holidays? But no, I get stuck with monitor duty. Well I'm sorry, but I did what I did because I just wanted to see my mom and dad and the rest of my family. Was that so wrong?" He finished. Monstress blinked.

"Of course not." She smiled. "I would've been free for monitor duty if you only asked."

Hart gulped. He realized now that he did something bad. Something mean.

"I, I'm sorry."

"I know. But you still lied and used dishonest means, so…"

…

Before he knew, Imra had flown him to a tiny café placed by a nearby college. One of the oldest buildings in the city. It was still made of bricks. They walked in through the front door. The place was decorated well enough for the holidays.

"Uh, aren't we a little… overdressed?" Garth asked. They were still in their uniforms.

"I come here a lot. No one will bother us."

They sat at a table. A candle lit in front of them. A waitress brought them two drinks. Garth didn't recognize these kinds of drinks. But Imra drank it quietly. He sipped it. Not bad, and it apparently wasn't alcoholic. Some kind of coffee.

"So…" Garth twiddled his thumbs, thinking of what to say. "How often do you come here, exactly?"

"Whenever I need time to think."

"You?" Garth laughed. "You're always thinking."

"You'd be surprised." She said as she put her drink down.

"Oh."

"Being a telepath, I'm susceptible to lots of emotions." Imra replied, her eyes focused on the performers. Two people. One played at the guitar. The other a piano. The café was filled with the sounds of sweet jazz. Christmas jazz.

"This place is much more quieter. It gives me the chance to think."

"About what?"

"Life. The Legion. The music."

Garth stopped. He listened. The music, it felt sad, yet festive. He felt his mind start to clear. He drifted off for a minute, lost in the gentle lullaby hidden between the piano jazz.

"So, you wanna talk?" Imra asked. She folded her hands like a psychiatrist. Garth smirked.

"Okay, Dr. Phil. First, I'm sorry I've been acting so mopey."

"It's understandable." She said. "Tell me, what do you dream of?" She joked.

"Ah, well-"

"Ah, so you hate your mother." Imra joked. "I'm guessing she didn't breastfeed you often enough."

The image that just went through Garth's mind made him repulsed and made him went to laugh out loud at the same time. He had to cover his mouth.

" No? Zen zit is your fazha!" She said mimicking Sigmund Frued.

"No, Dr. Ardeen. It's even worse." He said, his hand still covering his mouth. "He's my father AND my mother."

The two had a good laugh. Some people turned to see what so funny.

"Feel better?" Imra asked.

"Oh yeah." Garth said, and sighed. "So, you wanna know the truth?"

"I can handle the truth." Imra said.

"It's just, every Christmas I've had with Ayla and Mekt and my parents, there was always some arguing. Mekt usually acting like a brat and stealing our toys. But nothing that bad. Pretty enjoyable once it became the norm. Mekt even started acting better. And then we got our powers, and it was nothing but arguing, until he ran away and then I ran away, and the Legion. And with Ayla back, I really wanted to make this first Christmas with her back so much more better. But, our parents have been in the hospital since that hovercraft incident and I couldn't even see them in the hospital. Ayla's probably miserable."

"She has Mekt." Imra added.

"Yeah." Garth laughed. "But if you think I'm bad, you should see Mekt. Look up the word 'emo' and they have a whole collage of him."

Imra laughed. "Why?"

"He has a tendency of moping more then usual when he wasn't stealing our stuff."

Garth left again, before his gaze trailed to the people dancing in front of the performes as they strummed their strings and played the keys. Imra picked up the hint.

"Come on. Let's dance."

She led him into the light, as some other people danced in the café. The gentle melody, the jazzy notes, they flowed through their minds. Their feet practically moved by themselves. Garth didn't know he could dance. Imra didn't know she could dance. But they did anyway. He caught scent of her perfume. Roses. Of course. No other flower would've done justice. The melancholic tones coming the guitar and the piano didn't seem so melancholic. The mood didn't feel so blue. He pulled her as close as he could for this special dance. Time seemed to stop.

They stood in the light. They stopped moving. She felt warm. She felt so warm. She was a miracle in herself.

"I'm sorry. This is the best I can offer." She said.

"It's the greatest." He corrected.

Their eyes met.

"You're right." They kissed.

"Thanks."

…

Finally, the two sneaked back into HQ. They almost made it clear, until…

"Cos!"

Busted. There he was. With Lydda. And they were wearing such strange outfits.

"Uh, heh. Look Cos, I-" Garth started, before Cos interrupted.

"Look Garth. I'm sorry. If you want to go to Winath. You can go." Cos said.

"What?" Garth's jaw hung open.

"And take Imra too. It's Christmas. We'll take care of monitor duty." Cos motioned to Lydda. She closed his jaw and the two walked down the hall.

"Garth?" Imra waved her hand in his face.

"WOO-HOO!"

"We can be there by dawn." Imra said.

"Let's go!" And he swept her up in his arms at light speed, and they were off in the Legion cruiser.

Monstress waved to them as he ran past the monitor room, hoping they'd get the picture she saved them.

They laughed all the way there, as they took the picture of Monstress hanging Nemesis Kid from the archway by his underwear.

And on Hyar, Hart Druiter limped to his family.

…

"Finally." Garth sighed as he sank into the couch. He put his head on her lap. He looked up at her. "You're so warm, you know that? Is it possible for me to never have to leave this spot?"

"Maybe." She stroked his head like a kitten. He practically purred. He might've actually did.

"I love you. You know that?" Garth asked his wife. "I feel I should be telling you that more. I don't say it enough."

"How much until you've reached enough?"

"Never."

"And I love you." Imra replied. "I'll always love you. Until time ran out."

"And our son." Garth finished.

"And our son."

"Merry Christmas." They said together, and embraced.

Next Track

:

It's A Wonderful Life, Ayla