For new readers, this story is a continuation of one of my previous stories and is tied into several others. If you're not sure where to start, I'd suggest reading Bioshock Infinite: Unbroken, as well as its prequel Unbroken: Song of Sorrow. Thanks for checking it out.
Foreword: Well, this chapter's a short one, relatively speaking. Something I'd like to mention first; I thought '96 was going to be a sparse year in terms of chapters, but the last Christmas chapter was 22, and the one before it 12. I guess I went a little overboard.
December 25, 1896, 7:10 AM
A none too quiet yawn escapes Elizabeth as she walks down the familiar, grassy path through Green-Wood Cemetery, the warmth of her breath mingling with the chilly air and turning into mist. The rows of waist high headstones are just as she remembers from her last visit, Elizabeth casting her gaze around the cemetery slowly; Elizabeth had only seen a few other visitors on the way here, though the dim, pre-dawn light doesn't afford her much in the way of visibility. Elizabeth and her father have sort of made a tradition of this, visiting her mother's grave to pay their respects on Christmas morning.
Booker's walking hand-in-hand with Anna, Elizabeth's little sister bundled up in mittens, a cap, scarf and several coats to protect her from the winter chill. Not that she's especially happy about wearing the extra garments, Anna tugging at the scarf with her free, mitten-covered right hand every now and again, though she's yet to pull it completely free.
And Elizabeth's keeping pace on Booker's left, holding a pair of blue roses taken from her garden and a simple leash connected to her puppy's collar, the white and black Beagle trotting slightly ahead of her. She's dressed in her long-sleeved white blouse ankle-length skirt, the garment giving her a measure of protection from the cold.
Peering down at the tiny bundle of white, black and a touch of brown fur, Elizabeth grins; she'd been absolutely overjoyed when she found the Beagle puppy resting on her bed, once she'd recovered from her surprise, and she's taken good care of the mostly well-behaved, playful dog. "The little guy's a handful, though… didn't much care for the housebreaking…"
Elizabeth breathes a quiet sigh, another cloud of mist swirling briefly before her eyes; the Beagle's been a good pet for her and Anna, both of the sisters enjoying his company, but there have been a few difficulties. Aside from the usual walking, feeding and occasional bathing, Booker and Elizabeth had learned firsthand that Beagles don't like being left alone; they'd gone to see Ms. Pearl while Anna napped one day, and came back to find Booker's shoe in the dog's mouth.
"Lucky, no." Elizabeth gently tugs on the leash as she speaks, having caught Lucky beginning to wander off the grassy path towards a row of chiseled stone graves from the corner of her eye. Her chiding and tug gets the Beagle to stop and look back at her and wagging his tail slowly, the black upper half of his face parted by a vertical white blaze between his eyes,. "C'mon, Lucky, let's go."
A chuckle comes from Booker as Lucky starts down the path between the headstones again, and Elizabeth gives him a quick grin before looking at their surroundings; they've just about arrived, Elizabeth recognizing the area after visiting so often, but there's something different about this visit.
"Suppose the weather has something to do with that…" Dawn hasn't quite broken yet, the sun set to climb over the horizon any time now, but all Elizabeth can make out in the sky above is a blanket of dark, cloudy gray as far as the eye can see. Even if the sun were to rise, Elizabeth wouldn't be surprised if the cloud cover blocks out the light. "It's colder than last year," muttering to herself, Elizabeth rubs her chilled hands together for warmth, "but there hasn't been much snow fall this year…"
There's only a dusting of the cold white flakes covering the landscape, trees bare of leaves and the rows of impassive headstones, not enough even to completely blanket the blades of grass poking out of the snow. And a frown crosses Elizabeth's lips as she looks away from the stormy sky; she'd hoped for another white Christmas this year, and it's hard to not feel a little disappointed.
"Here we are…" Elizabeth knows she doesn't need to announce it, Booker sure to know the place by heart, and she's also sure the somber tone of her voice matches both their moods. It's been over three years, nearly four since Annabelle DeWitt passed, but that most certainly doesn't matter to Booker; Elizabeth can tell that it's always been hard for him to face her resting place.
"Booker, do you want to…?" Elizabeth turns to Booker, and he gives her a curt shake of the head before she can finish asking. "Umm… okay, Anna, let's go pay our respects to our mother, alright? We can show her Lucky."
"Okay, big sister… but what about Daddy?"
"He'll… wait for us, okay?" Elizabeth leads Anna to stand before the grave, she kneeling to place the flowers at the foot of the headstone. "Merry Christmas, mother, I brought some roses…"
Booker's standing several steps back with only his thoughts for company, Elizabeth sneaking a glance back over her shoulder as she tells her mother a little about the roses she grew, starting with where they came from and how they came to her. "Umm… I don't know why, but these roses, they stayed in bloom longer than the rest of my flowers. These two are the last to blossom; I hope they are to your liking…"
A quiet sigh escapes her, Elizabeth running her chilly fingers through her hair; Booker's been trying to figure out what had been weighing on her before her birthday. While she was feeling a little down, it's been the furthest thing from her mind lately, and Elizabeth has only offered him half-hearted explanations on the few times he's asked.
Breathing another sigh, Elizabeth glances down at the Beagle puppy sitting in the snow at her feet; Elizabeth's pup is looking up at her and Anna, his dark, floppy ears perked up, and she has to wonder how much this little dog actually understands. "He's supposed to be smart, after all…" The Beagle yawns deeply as he looks on, Lucky's eyes closing and ears pinning back.
Grinning at the puppy, Elizabeth returns her attention to her mother, talking idly about whatever comes to mind. Anna occasionally pipes up as well, and both sisters talk about what's new in their lives; Lucky figures prominently in that respect, both Elizabeth and Anna becoming more than a little animated while showing off the puppy. But in the middle of describing Lucky snatching a morsel off the dinner table, something catches Elizabeth's eye, her voice trailing off. And that gets Booker's attention, "Elizabeth?"
"Booker, look…" Elizabeth points at something beyond the grave, and she glances back to see if Booker's looking before turning back. At first, all she can see is more forlorn graves, snow and grass, but it only takes Elizabeth a second for her eyes to catch the flash of color amid the somber landscape; vibrant, iridescent blue wings with tips of black, fluttering about the graves, "That can't be normal, Booker… it's too cold out for butterflies. But I've seen these around lately…"
"I'd have to agree…" Booker mutters quietly, Elizabeth watching as the blue-winged butterflies disappear into the distance; butterflies in the winter are anything but common.
"Wish I'd studied them a little more… but…" Elizabeth glances back at Booker, a timid smile on her lips, "You know how I feel about certain bugs, right?" The memories of the bees she's encountered come to mind, and the measure to which she'd overreacted is a touch embarrassing. "Opening a Tear to shoo one away and unintentionally freezing the other with a Plasmid…" Booker chuckles as she thinks it, and Elizabeth's somehow sure he's thinking the same thing.
But Booker just shrugs, "It's not important, nothing to get worked up over. We've had plenty more pressing problems lately." Elizabeth nods at that; Columbians with repeaters certainly trumps winter butterflies
Still, she can't help but frown and folds her arms, glancing sideways back at Booker; there's been far too many unanswered questions these past few months, and Elizabeth's just a little miffed by another one popping up. But after a few seconds a long, exasperated sigh parts Elizabeth's lips, "Alright, Booker…"
A whine comes from Elizabeth's feet; Lucky's on his feet now and pawing at the snow-touched grass, the puppy looking unhappily up at Elizabeth. And her frown vanishes, a grin replacing it, "Aww, it's okay…" Stepping away from the grave, Elizabeth kneels to pick up Lucky, holding the puppy to her chest and petting him with long, steady strokes. And the Beagle responds in kind, working his head around to lap at Elizabeth's cheek, drawing her grin clear across her face.
"Daddy?" Anna's little voice draws Elizabeth's attention away from Lucky for a moment, her little sister standing a few feet away. "Do you want to talk to Mommy now?"
"Y-yeah…" Booker sounds more than a little uncertain, and Elizabeth can tell that Anna's innocent question is bringing up plenty of memories, "I'll just be a minute." Elizabeth watches as her father steps up to her mother's grave, Booker breathing a quiet sigh that causes another swirl of fog to appear. She still watches as he brushes the crown of snow off of Annabelle's grave, and as Booker kneels beside the chiseled headstone and whispers quietly, too quietly for her to make out.
He's not there long, though, surprising Elizabeth when he stands. "Alright, let's get going… Anna'd like to visit the park, right?"
12:15 PM
The pleasant, refreshing scent of a Christmas tree greets Elizabeth as the front door swings open, she, Anna and Lucky stepping into their silent apartment. Elizabeth waits until her little sister and puppy are well inside before easing the wood and glass door shut, and she heaves a quiet sigh while running a hand down the back of head; despite the cold, when the sky opened up, frigid drops of rain began to fall from the clouds rather than snow, catching Booker, Elizabeth and Anna as they'd left Central Park. That was about an hour ago, and the rain still pitter-patters against the apartment's windows, and Elizabeth's hair and clothes are just a little damp from running through it. "Not that Anna and Lucky are any better off… least we didn't get soaked."
Lucky's leash still hangs from her hand, and Elizabeth kneels beside her worn out puppy to unhook it from his collar, a smile touching her lips even though she's cold, wet and a little miserable, "You've had a big day already, haven't you, Lucky?" Her puppy yawns at her before shaking vigorously, the Beagle managing to get water everywhere. Once both Elizabeth and Anna's legs are sprayed proper, the tuckered out puppy sluggishly starts padding for the couch. "Okay… let's get ourselves into something dry, Anna."
"What about this?" Anan holds up the small, cardboard box she's been carrying, Elizabeth's little sister having kept it mostly protected from the rain. And Elizabeth smiles at her baby sister, touching her hand to Anna's wet, slightly cool cheek while dropping the leash.
"Just put it on the coffee table, sweetheart." Stepping past Anna, Elizabeth bends down to scoop Lucky up and deposit him on the couch, the mostly white and black Beagle flopping onto his side after a moment of looking up at her. "Do you need help getting changed?"
"No, big sister, I'll be fine." Anna sets her box down and heads for the bedrooms, pulling off the topmost coat. Elizabeth grins and musses up her little sister's wet, dark hair as she passes.
"I guess we aren't the only ones whose hair changes color…" Waiting until Anna's out of sight, Elizabeth leans on the couch's right armrest, grinning down at Lucky as he scooches closer to the opposite armrest and Christmas tree. "You're starting to turn brown here and there, aren't you?" The Beagle just lazily opens one eye to look back at her, sighing quietly; her puppy's black hair has slowly been turning a nice, mellow shade of brown on certain parts of his body, something Elizabeth's found oddly fascinating.
Petting her still damp puppy on the head, Elizabeth steps away and follows after her little sister, turning into hers and Booker's bedroom after checking in on Anna one last time. And it only takes a few minutes to change out of her damp white outfit, Elizabeth slipping into her old blue velvet bolero jacket and skirt ensemble. "There's still plenty left to do before everyone arrives," muttering to herself, Elizabeth takes a seat on her bed as she adjusts the starch white cuffs of her jacket, "Booker's going to start supper when he gets back, and there's still the tree…"
Her father had gotten their Christmas tree yesterday, as usual, and they just haven't gotten around to decorating it yet. "And now it's up to me to decorate it before tonight…" Despite the task ahead of her, a smile teases at Elizabeth's lips, and she fastens her bird brooch to the light blue choker she'd just put on; Elizabeth has always enjoyed decorating the Christmas tree these past couple years, and she and Anna had picked out a few new additions for the tree today.
Stepping out into the living room while toweling off her damp tresses, Elizabeth fixes her gaze on the old, battered blue trunk resting beside the tree; Booker's trunk had been repurposed to hold the Christmas decorations from last year, for lack of a better option. "Well, suppose I'd best get started…" Marching towards the Christmas tree, Elizabeth only stops to scratch behind her puppy's ear, Lucky opening his eyes sleepily to look back at her again before rolling onto his belly.
Retrieving the plain brown box from the coffee table, Elizabeth kneels before the battered blue trunk and sets the box beside it, opening the latches on the piece of luggage and easing it open. The modest collection of brightly colored baubles, lights and other small decorations draws a small but delighted grin across her face, Elizabeth picking up a round, forest green bulb.
While Elizabeth's being careful as she decorates, not wanting to disturb Anna if she's taking a nap, she quickly realizes she's being watched; Lucky's resting his head on the couch's left armrest, his small, brown eyes peering at him intently. His mostly black, floppy ears twitch every now and then, Elizabeth chuckling as she goes back to her decorating.
Lucky's been plenty playful and friendly from the moment she laid eyes on him, and Elizabeth's sure that Anna loves having him around, too. And aside from being adorable and intelligent, the Beagle's mostly black and white fur is soft and smooth, and he sleeps on Elizabeth's bed almost every night.
Even when she wakes up to his cold, wet nose or warm licks, Elizabeth would always smile and scratch him behind his big, floppy ears; Lucky's just too sweet and adorable, and Elizabeth just can't get upset with her puppy for something like that. She's even woken up to find her little Beagle atop Booker's chest from time to time, comfortably asleep or just watching Elizabeth's father before waking him up.
"Although, Booker was none too happy to wake up like that." Elizabeth's smile shrinks some as she picks up a shiny red bauble, her thoughts turning to the shoe incident, "And Booker was so furious then… I thought Lucky was going to stay under my bed for a week!"
Turning to the box of new ornaments after hanging a few more colorful bulbs, Elizabeth begins to idly hum a Christmas carol she'd overheard at the park. But the moment the box is open, Elizabeth's humming stops abruptly, "Wait… ah, that's what we forgot… an ornament for Lucky..." Her shoulders sag as she realizes it, Elizabeth muttering dejectedly while picking up a larger bulb bearing a Christmas tree design, "Next year, I suppose…"
Hanging the white and green ornament on a high branch, Elizabeth goes back to her decorating despite her disappointment. And soon enough, Elizabeth finds the smile touching her lips and the tune coming to her again. "I'm enjoying myself, don't know why I'm surp-"
An astonishingly loud bark comes from the little puppy behind her, and Elizabeth whirls about just as someone knocks on the door; she can make out a shadow through the glass, roughly her height. But the knocking at the door and Lucky's barking also serves to draw Anna from her room, Elizabeth halfway to the door before she notices her sleepy little sister stepping into the living room.
"Who is it, big sister?" Anna's rubbing her eyes and blinking groggily as she asks, a yawn escaping her once she's finished. She'd been napping, alright.
"I don't know yet, Anna. I still have to answer the door." Elizabeth steps towards the front door as she answers her sleepy sister, but not before shooting a look at her barking puppy, "Lucky, I hear you, stop already!" But Lucky just keeps on barking, and Elizabeth answers the door with an exasperated sigh, "Who is it?"
"Merry Christmas, Elizabeth!"
Elizabeth's taken aback, blinking in surprise at the voice calling through the door, "Xiang?" Pulling the door open quickly to let her friend in, Elizabeth grins as she lays eyes on Xiang, "Come in! How are you?" As happy as Elizabeth is to see her friend, she's also plenty curious, a number of questions playing through her inquisitive mind: why's she here so early; is something wrong; is Xiang having second thoughts about coming tonight?
And Xiang seems to notice Elizabeth's uncertainty, "I just felt like coming by early… I'd like to help, if you could use it." Xiang gives Elizabeth a small smile of her own, and only then does Elizabeth realize she's still standing in the doorway.
"Oh… oh! Thank you so much, Xiang!" Taking a couple steps back, Elizabeth looks Xiang up and down; she's still dressed in men's clothing, though the too large, off white shirt and faded brown trousers look a touch cleaner than usual. Xiang also carriers a coat that's soaking wet, Elizabeth guessing that her friend used it to protect herself from the rain. And the moment, Xiang steps into the apartment, Elizabeth surprises her friend with a great big hug, "Merry Christmas to you too."
"Heh… thanks, Elizabeth… um, Merry Christmas, Anna." Xiang hugs Elizabeth back timidly before greeting Anna, waiting until she's out of the embrace before stepping into the apartment. And Elizabeth breathes a quiet but immensely relieved sigh; her relationship with Xiang has been a little awkward since the Columbian soldiers came after them.
Elizabeth had given Xiang a shorter version of the 'real' story she'd given Ms. Pearl, omitting as much about Tears and other realities as possible. Still, telling her friend about the flying city Columbia, Vigors and what she and Booker went through had left Xiang staring at Elizabeth in disbelief. But what Xiang had seen that day left little room for her to doubt Elizabeth's story.
"Not that I blame her for having a hard time believing me…" Shaking her head to clear the thought, Elizabeth looks back in time to see Xiang helping Anna onto the couch beside Lucky, the Beagle back to resting his head on the armrest. "So, umm… Xiang, would you like to help decorate our Christmas tree?"
Another smile touches Xiang's lips, she nodding quickly, "Sure, I'd love that."
Turning to the still mostly bare Christmas tree, Elizabeth and Xiang share a grin, the both of them reaching for the ornaments to start decorating. Still, there's no rush; the hour can't be later than one, and dinner's planned for six. So Elizabeth and Xiang take their time, occasionally discussing where to put a particular ornament but usually just happy with wherever the decorations end up. And all the while they're catching up; it's been over a week since last they saw each other, and they both have some stories to tell.
Elizabeth need not worry about disturbing Anna with her chatting, either; her little sister doesn't seem particularly interested in napping on the couch. Instead, she's languidly petting Lucky, the puppy's dark, floppy ears again twitching now and again as he rests.
It takes a good while for Elizabeth and Xiang to finish decorating the Christmas tree, what with the both of them taking their time and frequently moving already placed ornaments to a branch better suited to it. All in all, Elizabeth would have to say they'd been at it for about an hour, she and Xiang finishing up with carefully wrapping the silver-colored tinsel around the tree.
Stepping back so she can admire their handiwork, Elizabeth lets out a satisfied chuckle; the tree is now a proper Christmas tree, adorned in a variety of colorful and wintry decorations. Solid and multicolored, patterned bulbs, oversized snowflakes made of glass or yarn, star-shaped ornaments, tinsel and a string of lights wrapped around the tree and rising to the top. But despite their best efforts, neither of them have managed to get the star atop the tree. "Guess we'll need Booker for that…" But before Elizabeth can step away from the tree, another knock comes from the door, Lucky jumping to his feet and barking loudly once more.
"Merry Christmas, dear!" Ms. Pearl's voice comes from outside, Elizabeth smiling again.
6:45 PM
Leaning back in her seat, a lopsided grin teases at Elizabeth's lips; no matter how often she experiences it, a lively dinner with friends and family like this always makes her inexplicably happy. Elizabeth sits between Booker and Xiang, her father on her left at the head of the table and Anna sitting across from her, Ms. Pearl next to Anna and both the Lutece and Captain Slate sitting at the opposite end of the table.
Booker had come through the front door about an hour after Ms. Pearl had arrived, surprise evident in his expression when he saw Xiang and the decorated Christmas tree. His hands had been full with bags of food, and he hadn't been alone, either; he'd run into Slate while out buying the fixings for dinner, the older soldier turned Pinkerton joining Booker on the way home. And the Luteces had arrived shortly after, and everyone settled in to relax while Booker started cooking their dinner.
Now, Slate sits at the corner of the table between Rosalind and Ms. Pearl, a plate bearing slices of turkey, green beans and a scoop of plum pudding in hand. Elizabeth looks over the Christmas dinner Booker had prepared with a little help from Ms. Pearl, she just a little impressed that the two of them managed this; somehow, they'd found a way to cook a decent sized turkey in their kitchen's none-too-large oven. Aside from the main course, there's a small plate with assorted bagels in lieu of croissants, salads, beans, some apples and pears, the usual plum pudding and a new addition; Jelly-Con gelatin, the semi-solid mass jiggling whenever someone takes a scoop.
And Lucky isn't being left out; the Beagle puppy is seated atop Anna's lap, Elizabeth's little sister feeding Lucky scraps of turkey, beans and bits of bagel. "Huh…" Elizabeth watches as Anna gives the puppy some of a basil bagel, a hint of an amused smile teasing at her lips, "Anna's feeding a Beagle a basil bagel… heh, try saying that five times fast." And Lucky's gobbling up whatever Anna's feeding him, be it turkey, beans or bagel, and Elizabeth chuckles quietly as she watches Lucky take a bit of poultry from her little sister's fork.
"Booker, thanks…" Glancing sideways at her father, Elizabeth breathes a contented sigh, "I'm glad we could manage this… but…" Turning to look out the window, a shiver runs down Elizabeth's spine as a flash of blinding light appears in the stormy sky; it's still pouring outside, and the storm's only gotten worse, thunder and lightning making themselves known not long ago. And she's still uncomfortable whenever a bolt forks through the sky, Elizabeth having to fight to keep from jumping.
"What's wrong, Elizabeth? The lightning?" Booker sets his fork down beside his plate as he turns to her.
"Yes…" Breathing another sigh, Elizabeth takes another bite of her gelatin before continuing, "Umm… I think Ms. Pearl might ask for a song. I have something in mind, but…" Elizabeth falls silent, shaking her head; this isn't what she wants to talk about. "Booker, do you think that maybe… something is going to happen?"
"Huh? Something worse than a bunch of gun-toting Columbians coming after us?"
"No, that's not… ah, perhaps I'm just imagining things…" Shaking her head again, Elizabeth sets her fork down and pushes her plate away, resting her arms on the table, "I don't know, I've just been thinking… those butterflies, for example… wait…"
Elizabeth leans forward to glance past Xiang to Rosalind, "Did you bring…?" The sister Lutece turns her impassive gaze towards Elizabeth, and she can't help but wonder what's going on in Rosalind's mind.
"Of course. It was a simple matter, really." Rosalind nods curtly, and Robert turns to glance her way now. There's little on either of Luteces' plates, the twins only really sipping at some tea while the rest of the gathering enjoys the meal.
"We even giftwrapped it, as is the custom for today." Robert adds, bowing his head slightly.
"Gifts? Is it present time?" Anna perks up at the mention of gifts, a wide, enthusiastic smile spreading across her face. "Yay! Present time!" She's up and running to the Christmas tree, Anna's arms wrapped around Lucky's body and bringing the poor dog along as she goes.
"Uh, Anna? " Elizabeth holds her hand to her mouth; Anna's arms are just beneath Lucky's forelegs, the puppy's hind legs and tail dangling as a result. The look on the Beagle's face is none too happy, either. And Elizabeth doesn't know whether to be worried for her puppy or amused by her little sister's antics; Lucky's situation is comical, but unlikely to be comfortable.
"Perhaps a Christmas carol might be in order?" Ms. Pearl turns towards the Christmas tree to follow Anna's path, the elderly woman offering the idea quickly.
"Here, here!" Slate booms in agreement, the man tugging lightly on his slick, black mustache. And Elizabeth heaves a quiet sigh, her suspicion turning out to be right.
"Okay, one song for now… Anna, would you like to come sing it with me?" Picking herself up, Elizabeth steps around the table to Booker's desk and rests a hand on its hard surface. And a grin touches her features when Anna stops in her tracks, her little sister looking conflicted. But Anna slowly steps away from the Christmas tree and the brightly wrapped presents beneath, putting the unhappy puppy down first.
"Alright…" Turning to glance out the window apprehensively, Elizabeth breathes a sigh when she doesn't see any lightning in the dark sky. But something else catches her eye as she turns back to her friends and family.
The flowers in her planter are mostly dormant now, no bulbs and only a couple blue roses still in bloom, though they've been withering for a time now. But it's not the Columbian roses that have caught her eye; fluttering around the last few of the midnight blue flowers are a trio of the equally blue butterflies. But she doesn't have time to wonder, Elizabeth turning back to Anna, "Remember the song at the park, Anna?" Her little sister nods enthusiastically, and Elizabeth grins.
"O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, your branches green delight us…"
Author's Note: And that's it for 1896. And while I didn't get to what Elizabeth was asking the Luteces for, I hope it's fairly obvious what it was in regards to. There's several things I'd like to mention, so we'll start at the top; first, I wasn't quite sure what to name the Beagle puppy. All I had to go on was I wanted Elizabeth's puppy to be small to medium sized, and male. I wanted to give her a Corgi, but those don't make it to the U.S. till 1933. And on another note, Beagle puppies start off black and white, and they all change color as they grow.
Next, Jelly-Con was a company that preceded Jello and ended up in a rivalry with it. They also sold gelatin, and guess who won.
Finally, the Christmas carol at the end is, pretty obviously, O Christmas tree, and is period appropriate. But what I found amusing was the original German title and lyrics: O Tannenbaum. Tickled me how close it is to Tenenbaum.
So, I need to look the chapter over again for any errors or inconsistencies, which I'll get done tomorrow. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Also, I couldn't think of a better title.
Also, one year till Paris.