(For disclaimer, etc. - see 1)

11. Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)
Characters/Pairings: Doula, Liz, TJ
'Verse/Timeline: The Runaways 'Verse - Our Little Corner of the World
Date: December 2028

She wasn't sure why she was here, not really. After all, she had been the one to walk away and declare she probably wouldn't be back. It had been so hard for so long, it was easier to give it all up and start again. Her parents had done their best, some of the time, anyway, and Doula so wanted it to be enough. It hadn't been, not really. If not for Luke and Lorelai, Jess and Rory, and all the other great family and friends that had her back, Doula would've been in much worse shape than she had been that day when she decided to skip town and never come back.

Of course, never was a long time, and she ought to have known she would find her way home someday. She honestly hadn't expected it to be quite this soon. Maybe it was the time of year that made her homesick, maybe all she really craved was the company of her cousins and friends, or her big brother to give her a hug and still talk to her in a serious voice about Santa, as if she still thoroughly believed in the guy at the age of just-turned twenty-two.

Doula knew none of that was true, or rather it was only part of the reason she was back here. Truth was, as sucky as her mom and dad were at the whole parental thing sometimes, they were still the only mother and father she was ever going to have. The one thing she never could doubt when it came to Liz and TJ was that they did love her, even if they weren't always the best at taking care of her or making the right choices in her best interest.

"Christmas is for love and forgiveness and stuff," she said to herself as she stood on the doorstep of the house she had called home for most of her life. "It's not like I have to stay forever, it's just a flying visit for the Holidays," she added, lifting her fist to knock on the door.

There was yelling on the other side, though nothing nasty or hurtful said, which made a change. It actually sounded weirdly domestic and pleasant.

"Can you get the door, babe? I'm tryin' to fix this angels wings again."

"I'm on it, sweetheart. Hey, you be careful on that ladder, okay?"

It meant nobody was drunk, nobody was pissed off. It meant they really did still care about each other, and about Christmas traditions from way back.

"That's not the same crappy angel I made as a kid is it?" she asked the moment the door opened to reveal her father who wasn't paying attention until she spoke.

"Doula?" he gasped, eyes wide at the sight of her. "Oh, baby! Sweetheart, you're here. You came home!"

He pulled her into arms and was hugging her so tight that Doula could hardly breathe. She was also pretty sure he burst both her eardrums when he started yelling 'Lizzy!' at the top of his lungs until Mom came running too. There were tears in her voice as she spoke Doula's name and then piled in to the group hug right there in the hallway.

It was a surprise to Doula to find that she was crying to as she clung to her parents and let them cling to her too. She had half-expected them to be mad at her for the way she left, half-expected a chilly response and a long walk over to Jess' house or similar to see if she could find shelter there. Maybe she ought to have known better.

"I am so, so glad you're here," said Liz, kissing both her cheeks then leaning back to look at her like she was the most precious thing in the world. "You look... so grown-up. And so happy. I guess being out in the world was just what you needed."

"I guess so," Doula agreed, swallowing hard, "but it's really good to be home now."