Disclaimer: Garfield and all related characters are the property of Paws Inc. and ViacomCBS/Nickelodeon at the time of this story's creation.
Chapter 7: Christmas Day!
December 25
7:00 AM
The sun emits a bright yellow light all over the snow covered field as it slowly rises up to the sky. It was Christmas morning, and people all throughout the city are beginning to wake up to begin celebrating this wondrous day.
*YAWN* Doc Boy rubs his eyes as he leaves his bedroom and finds his family patiently waiting for him in the living room.
"Bout time you woke up, sleepyhead!" James said.
"Sorry, Dad. I forgot to set up my alarm clock." Doc Boy lies.
"Well, don't just stand there yawning, it's Christmas morning!" James smiles.
"Yeah, Doc Boy! It's Christmas, so let's see that huge smile of yours!" Jon exclaims.
"Whatever you say, Jon." Doc Boy eyed his brother, still sour from what happened last night.
"So, what do you boys want to do first?" James asks. "Do you want to do chores? Do you want to eat breakfast? Or do you want to open presents?"
"PRESENTS!" Jon and Doc Boy cheer.
"BREAKFAST!" Garfield cheers, earning a nasty glare from the two brothers.
"I mean presents!" The cat grins sheepishly.
Then, one by one, the whole family exchanges gifts to one another. Wrappers shredded, boxes piling on the floor, to say this Christmas was a messy one would be a massive understatement.
"I wonder what my gift will be?" Garfield said with excitement, clutching hard on his present. "Could my present be a pony? Or could it be my own TV? Or a new bed? Or a blanket? Or a cheese grater? Or silk pajamas? Or…"
The orange cat pauses his thoughts as a realization kicks in.
"Wait a minute." Garfield thought. "Could it be that I've built my expectations too high for what's actually in my gift? Should I never open it in order to preserve the hope and magic that is the true gift of the Christmas season?"
"NAAAAH!" The cat draws out his claws and shreds the wrapping paper piece by piece like a wild animal…
...only to stop upon seeing what's inside the box.
"Oh, no! OH, NO! NO NO NO!" Garfield gasps in horror, for the gift that laid before him was something he hoped that he'd never receive ever again.
"Well, what is it, Garfield?" Jon asks.
"It's...it's…" The frightened cat slowly picks up the item and reveals it to everyone…
...MOM'S ANNUAL CHRISTMAS SWEATER!
Everyone, sans Anna, gasps in terror upon laying their eyes on such a heinous gift.
"Aww, you've found the sweater I made for you!" Anna smiles.
"Oh, come on! Do I have to put this stupid sweater on every freaking year!?" Garfield complains. "I'd rather eat a whole table full of raisins!"
"Garfield, mom worked very hard to make you that sweater! Put it on, now!" Jon insisted, doing his best not to hurt his mother's feelings.
"Fine!" The reluctant cat puts the sweater on. The whole family gushed at how adorable he looked while wearing it.
"Aww, you look so cute wearing that!" Nermal teases his fellow feline.
"Note to self, never open a present again." Garfield angrily mumbles to himself.
Later…
After messing up the living room with shredded wrapping paper and empty boxes, the family settles down on the floor, enjoying their newfound gifts.
"Well, that was a very nice Christmas." Anna smiles, fully satisfied with how happy everyone is to have received what they've wanted.
"Ahem." Garfield tugs her apron. "It's not over yet. One minute please?" The cat heads to the fireplace and grabs the old letters from behind a picture frame.
"Why, thank you, honey." Grandma said, taking the letters. "What's this?" She asked. Looking closely upon the old letters, the eldest Arbuckle quietly gasped upon realizing who they were from.
"Oh, my." Grandma said, her eyes welling up in tears. "Oh...my."
"What are they, Grandma?" Jon asks.
"*Sniff* Jon, these are love letters your grandfather sent to me when we were courting a long time ago." Grandma confirms, crying while reading the letters to herself.
"Garfield, I don't know how you've managed to find these old letters, but they're the nicest presents I could have ever received!" Grandma pulls the orange tabby into a bone crushing hug. "Thank you! *Sniff* Thank you very, very much!"
"Anytime, Grandma!" Garfield wheezes, struggling to speak while being crushed by the embrace.
"Yeah, you might say I just kind of fell into them." Garfield said.
"Oh, Gaaarrrfffiiieeelllddd!" Nermal said, grinning widely.
"What is it, Nermal? You're ruining the mood." Garfield sighs.
"Me and Odie want to show you something!" Nermal gestures to him to follow them.
"Okay, I'm coming. Geez." Garfield said, following the other two animals to a rather odd looking present with a grocery bag on top.
"Okay, I'm here. What do you want?" Garfield asks.
Odie removes the grocery bag, revealing it to be a pole with a gardening tool attached to it.
"Ah, well...I think it's uh, yeah, it's very...what does it to?" Garfield asks, unsure of what this thing does.
Odie demonstrates by rubbing his back against the gardening tool, revealing the gift to be a homemade back scratcher.
"Whoa! Let me try that!" Garfield rubs his back against the back scratcher, enjoying every last scratch.
"So, what do you think, Garfield?" Nermal asks.
"I...I don't know what to say...I...I…" Tears began to form in the cat's eyes. Never has he received, let alone seen, such a beautiful gift in all his life.
"Garfield, what's wrong!? Why are you crying!?" Jon asks, very concerned.
"It's…", Garfield gaps for air, wiping the tears of joy from his eyes, "...It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!"
*Arf* Odie happily barks, very glad that his best friend enjoys his gift.
"Odie, *Sniff* sometimes you amaze me. This is the best present a cat could ever get. *Sniff* Now and then, you really are something special." Garfield pulls Odie into a tight embrace. The dog's eyes welling up in tears as he hugs his best friend back.
"Awwwww." The whole family smiles upon seeing the two pets hugging each other.
"So, did I do good, Garfield? Huh? Did I?" Nermal asks, hopping up and down like a child.
"Yes, you did good too, Nermal." Garfield reluctantly said, releasing from the hug. "Now, somebody get this stupid sweater off of me!"
Later…
Jon, sitting out on the front porch alone with a cup of hot cocoa in his hand, stares into the night sky, gazing upon the beautiful stars that illuminated from above the farm house.
"Thought I might find you here." A familiar voice startles Jon from his star gaze. He turns around and finds his brother Doc Boy right next to him.
"Thinking about him again?" The younger brother asks.
"Yeah, I hope he's doing okay...up there...in the sky." Jon said hesitantly.
Doc Boy sighs. "Listen, Jon. I'm sorry for yelling at you last night."
"It's alright, Doc Boy. It's all in the past now." Jon reassures his younger brother, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You take as much time as you need."
"Thanks, Jon. I appreciate that." Doc Boy smiles.
"So...uh...are we still brothers?" Jon asks nervously.
"Yep, brothers till the end." The two hug each other tightly, having finally reconciled with each other after all this time.
"So, do you want to bunk with me tonight? Just like the good ol' days?" Doc Boy offers.
"Sure, I'd love to." Jon happily accepts. "Just let me stay out here for just one more minute."
"You got it, brother. Oh, and please don't call me Doc Boy." The younger brother said before heading back inside.
Jon gives the stars one last look before saying his final words before turning in for the night.
"Lyman, if you can hear me from up there, Merry Christmas."
The End!