Chapter Eight: I'm Watching Them Shine.

Tikki can't help but reminisce about her previous Christmases as she admires the beautiful and bright Christmas lights on the tree.

Tikki was happy.

It was a rare moment of peace in this hectic holiday time - no friends on the phone or in the room, no shift in the bakery, no school, no homework, and, blessedly, no akumas. It was a little oasis of tranquility to just breathe and enjoy the moment.

Marinette was curled up on her chaise with her earphones in, doodling in her sketchbook. It was the relaxed scribbling of her trying out new things and not the frenzied scratchings of a burst of inspiration. It was a peaceful soundtrack for Tikki's exploration of the room.

She floated to and fro around the room, looking at strings of paper chains, sparkly snowflakes, and a beautiful real pine wreath at the window. Everywhere was bright and warm and pretty. It was everything that Tikki liked.

The tree was her favourite and her wanderings around the room soon led her to it. She floated amongst the tiny branches just admiring it. It might not be a real tree, but it was still beautiful. The branches were tipped with icicles and frosty snow, and garlands of beads and bright fairy light wound around every bough. The lights gleamed and shimmered and bathed the whole tree in a soft glow, like standing under the majestic stained glass windows in church. It was beautiful. It was magical!

She couldn't help but marvel at the wonders before her. Her last Christmas had been centuries ago, too long to remember perfectly, but it hadn't been anything as beautiful and energetic as the Christmas Marinette was showing her.

She had been with Hilde back then, her sweet little Rotkäppchen, on the edge of the Schwartzwald trying to reclaim yet another miraculous that had fallen into the wrong hands. It had been a beautiful setting for a Christmas celebration. Real pine and fir trees, snow for weeks, brights reds and greens in homes. It was the scenery that Tikki saw on modern Christmas cards.

Hilde had been a sweet young woman, right on the verge of her marriage to Hans, when Tikki had met her. They'd gone through the usual few awkward weeks of getting to know each other, Tikki orienting to the time and place she was in, and Hilde getting used to her powers, but after that it had been smooth sailing. Hilde and Hans had got married, both confessing to their double life on their wedding night, and continued fighting the rogue miraculous user as they settled into domestic bliss. It had been a happy time for both of them, and for Tikki and Plagg.

They'd had their miraculous for just less than a year when they caught the rogue miraculous - a minor lord in the region. It had been a bittersweet goodbye. Tikki and Plagg had lingered for a few weeks while they ensured that things were back to normal and in that time Hilde and Hans had decided to start their family and Hilde had quickly fallen pregnant. Tikki often wondered how Hilde's pregnancy had gone, whether she'd had a boy or a girl, one child or twins, how she and Hans coped with a baby, and how their lives had gone after the birth. It was hard but necessary to say goodbye but Tikki never forgot any of her bugs and remembered them fondly.

It was easy to remember Hilde right now. They'd defeated their enemy just before Christmas and Tikki and Plagg had stayed with their partners over the festive period. It was a lot more religious than the Christmas Marinette was showing her - religion was just a normal part of everyday life back then, just like daily meals and work, whereas religion was something you chose to take an active role in today, like the midnight Christmas service Marinette and her parents sometimes went to.

There were lots of similarities still though. People had dressed up in fine clothes and special outfits, there had been sweet treats and feasting to celebrate, and there had been the sense of togetherness. They had also decorated with ribbons and pine cones and boughs from trees. Anything they had at hand to bring some colour to their homes. And lights had been everywhere, from gentle candlelight to warm firelight, and beautiful and cool starlight and moonlight. It had always been beautiful.

But the beauty around her now, the beauty of the modern Christmas, had all been designed just for this day.

The artificial trees, the beautiful lights, the touches of snow and frost, ribbons of tinsel, strings of bright beads, miles and miles of bright fairy lights, and the baubles!

They were undoubtedly Tikki's favourite decorations. They reflected so much light and were so prettily patterned - from the sole glass one on Marinette's tree, passed down from her great-grandmother, to the bright gold and silver plastic ones, to the gorgeous crochet one that Marinette had made just for this tree for this Christmas. Tikki had even helped with a few stitches on the bauble before the hook became too unwieldy for her to use. It had been fun though, and Marinette was going to look into getting something more suitable for a kwami to use so they could carry on making their own decorations.

Tikki flew to one of the innermost branches and lay down, staring up at the lights above her. This was definitely her favourite of all the Christmases she had celebrated.

"I think I'm really going to like this Christmas."

Author's note: This chapter is dedicated to saiikavon for being my 400th commenter on AO3, who wanted to see Tikki reminiscing about a past holder. I hope you like it! Also, has anyone guessed which songs the chapter titles come from? No googling! My usual reminder that I have not seen all of season 2 or season 3 of Miraculous Ladybug, so please do not spoil it for me.

Replies to reviews:

frustration - I think we all need some tooth rotting fluff after this year, so there will be plenty more to come. And, no spoilers, but there just might be a scene with Plagg and Tikki together. Maybe. I'm trying to wrangle the plot bunny as we speak.

yellow 14 - Plagg is always a right little wotsit. It's why he's so fun to write!