"Daddy, who is Santy Claus?" A small voice asked as I sat down, feeling a sigh escape my lips as I did so. I looked over to see Severa staring at me with her big blue eyes curiously, sitting straight up in bed with not a hint of tiredness in her. It was going to be a long night, I could tell.

"Where'd you hear daddy talking about Santa Claus, sweetheart?" I asked innocently.

"When we were in the village!" Severa chirped, crawling forward. "You were talking with mommy about something and you said the name Santy Claus! And then you said something about prezzies and I really, really wanna know who Santy Claus is!"

"I take it she's not going to sleep anytime soon?" A new voice called out from the doorway before she approached me. I smiled, then. Cordelia was always able to lull Sev lightly to sleep, no matter what. With both of us on the case, perhaps it wouldn't be a long night after all.

"She heard me talking about Santa Claus," I answered, lifting my arm up as Severa grasped onto it and hung from it like a monkey.

"Tell me! Tellmetellmetellmetellme!" She demanded.

Cordelia chuckled as she sat down next to me, crossing her arms and giving me a sideways glance. "Well, love, you heard her. I don't think any of us will be getting any sleep until you do."

"But I can't just tell anyone about this, Cordy! It's the biggest secret I still have!"

"And you didn't even bother to tell your wife about it?" Cordelia mock-gasped, "I heard you mention this 'Santa Claus' earlier but to know he's such an important person now… and here I believed you trusted me. How could you?"

"Why'd you have to make mommy sad, daddy?" Severa asked, blinking up at me as she still hung from my forearm.

"I didn't make mommy sad, sweetheart. Mommy is just being mean to daddy right now and trying to manipulate him. And daddy doesn't appreciate it," I responded, giving Cordelia a shit-eating grin.

"Oh? Are we playing this game now?" Cordelia asked, eyebrow raised.

Shaking my head, I gently laid Severa back down on the bed, "I'd rather not tonight, thanks. Been a long day."

"Mm. Agreed. But seriously, love, you talked about him before, but you didn't explain anything. Who is this 'Santa Claus'?"

I looked between Severa and Cordelia, completely at their mercy. I sighed, shaking my head before smiling fondly. "Well, he's the big old guy in a red robe, basically. He's part of a big holiday back where I come from. We'd set up these trees in our house, place a carpet beneath them, and wait for the 25th of December. On that day, we'd find presents beneath said tree, all addressed to everyone in the house. You see, he had these elves that made toys for him…"

I talked for only a few minutes, explaining the basics of the holiday. The entire thing felt nostalgic, in a way. It'd been years since I'd ever thought of Christmas, let alone explained it. There was just something deeply personal and fulfilling about sharing it with my wife and daughter, even if we didn't have the capability to perform it on such short notice. Not that that stopped Severa from asking.

"We need to get one!" She declared, "A tree! A tree! And then when that's done Santy Claus will come down our chimney and give us all prezzies!"

"Not tonight, Severa," Cordelia sighed, although I could see the small smile across her face. "It's too late to be going out and chopping trees down."

"But mommy-!"

"Here," Cordelia said, hoisting Severa up, all the while our child giggled. "Why don't we sing that song we always do? If we do that, tomorrow will come around in no time."

"Guess I won't be needed for that, will I? Heh." I asked, gently standing up.

"I'll be out in a little while, love. I'll make us tea before we go to bed," Cordelia said, as Severa gently sat in her lap.

I nodded, taking my leave.

Winters in northern Ylisstol could always be charitably described as frigid.

In our first few years living up there, it was a bit difficult for me to really get used to it. We weren't far from the Longfort, and by proxy, Regna Ferox. Even if we weren't near any mountains, mid-late Autumn would always be blanketed with snow, and Winter would seemingly last for ages.

I wouldn't give it up for the world, though. Our house was big, first of all, and it wasn't hard to keep warm inside. Besides, it gave me the chance to even be inside in the first place; more often than not, Cordelia and I were recalled to Ylisstol to deal with one problem or another. Not that I was complaining. It was our job, after all, and it was half the reason we were able to raise our family in such decadence. Still, at least Winter granted us that much, being able to stay in one place for more than a week or so. If we gave it a few more years, and maybe we could even retire early.

"I've got our tea, love," Cordelia said. I perked up, turning my gaze to her. Never would I stop marveling at just how beautiful she was, even more so with the warm, casual clothes she was wearing. Nearby roared a fire, and I stretched on the loveseat I was on. Cordelia came up by my side and placed the teacups on a nearby table before snuggling up to me.

"Is she asleep?" I asked, scratching my head.

Cordelia hummed as she placed her head on my shoulder. "Yes. Severa really wanted to stay up, you know. I think those stories about that holiday from your homeland had her all wound up. I was able to convince her, though." Cordelia giggled, "You're really good at that, you know? Spinning a tale about this 'Santa Claus'. I'll need to buy presents tomorrow morning."

I chuckled, stretching my arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to me. "Not without me, you aren't. It's cold as hell outside."

"Mm, true. And where would I be without my walking heater?" Cordelia murmured happily, reaching forward and grasping a teacup. "Now, drink up before it gets too cold."

"Yes ma'am." I took a sip, feeling the warm liquid swirl in my mouth before drinking it. Leave it to Cordelia to completely out-do me when it came to tea-making. It wasn't too bitter and not too sweet; just right. I wondered where she got the blend from, but as I began gulping it down, I decided that I didn't care.

"I must say," Cordelia began quietly, "Those stories are really something else. This 'Santa Claus' really just barges into people's homes and leaves wrapped gifts underneath a tree? It is rather strange."

I shrugged. "Less strange when you grow up with it, Cordy. Besides, he's not actually real. He's one of those little fairy tales adults liked to tell kids to keep them from misbehaving. 'Course, that didn't stop people from milking the hell out of it."

"How do you mean?"

"Hard to explain," I sighed, "I worked a job a little while before I came here, and, well, I didn't exactly have the best time. Kinda soured me on the whole experience. The spirit of it is still there, though, and I guess I just wanted to share a little bit of that with my own kids, you know?"

"It's different than any holidays around here, that is for sure," Cordelia said, "You miss it, don't you? Your old world."

"Sometimes." I shrugged, "Sometimes I do, yeah, but I'd never fit in there, especially not now. I've got you and the kids, now. I don't need anything else."

I blinked as Cordelia pulled away from me slightly. She held her shoulders as she looked away. "Here I am, then, keeping you from ever returning."

I tilted my head in confusion. "What?"

Cordelia pursed her lips as she shook her head. "I… Sometimes I feel selfish, Alex. For keeping you here, away from all your old friends and family. Would you rather be with them? I wouldn't blame you if you did. Even after Grima, things haven't exactly been peaceful what with the reconstruction and everything. I can't help but sometimes think I shouldn't… Gods, I'm really trying hard not to say that. I love you, Alex, and I want what is best for you, and if what is best for you lies far away from me-!"

"Cordelia, please, stop," I said suddenly.

"I…" She shook her head. "I'm sorry, love. I don't know what came over me."

"You've been thinking about that for a long time, haven't you?" I asked, slowly inching closer.

Cordelia was silent for a moment before nodding quietly. "Sometimes. Only sometimes. You probably don't realize it, Alex, but sometimes I catch you staring into nothing, and I can't help but wonder what you're thinking. Perhaps it was just me jumping to conclusions, but that thought wouldn't stop gnawing at me. I'm sorry."

I embraced her, and I heard Cordelia squeak as I did so. "I'm the one who should be sorry, Cordy. I shouldn't have let it get that bad in the first place. What kind of husband would just let his wife go into a spiral like that?"

Cordelia hugged me back, and for a few moments we simply cradled each other. I could feel Cordelia's slightly shaky breaths against my neck. No tears, thankfully, but she was certainly distressed.

After a few moments, we parted, but kept a single arm around the other. Lightly, I stroked Cordelia's gorgeous hair, long since having returned to its original length. "I never really did tell you about them, did I? My old family. Except for my dad, but, well…"

Cordelia hugged me again from the side, nestling herself there. "I think I'd like to hear about them, all the same."

I chuckled. "Fair enough. Honestly, there's not much to tell. We were a middle-class family. A decently-sized house, I guess, but nothing out of the ordinary for the place we lived. My mother… well, it's hard to really put into words what she did, but think of someone who owns several merchant stalls or something similar. You already know my dad was a soldier. And my sister, gods, she was something else. Short, but you did not want to piss her off. Liked to practice archery in her spare time. Probably one of the most sarcastic people I've ever met in my entire life, heh."

"They sound wonderful," Cordelia whispered, "I wish I could have met them."

"They would've loved you." I smiled wistfully, "My mom in particular. She was always pushing me to go talk to people, and when dad recovered from that whole thing, he was in the same boat. Liz would've teased the shit out of me, but that just shows she cares."

"How can I not call myself selfish, then?" Cordelia murmured, hugging me just a bit tighter. "I know the way to your old home would not be easy, what with the Outrealm Gate destroyed, but I'm certain you could find a way if you tried. You haven't let the impossible stop you before."

I pursed my lips, idly running my fingers through her silky red hair. "It's not that simple, Cordy."

"Alex?"

"You're my family now," I continued, "You and Sev. Both of you mean the world to me. I've made friendships here that'll last the rest of my life. I've got a life here, Cordy. If I go back home, sure, they'd be waiting for me, but what else? I wouldn't be able to hold you or Sev in my arms anymore, wouldn't be able to play poker with my friends anymore, it'd all end up being meaningless. Besides," I raised a hand and cupped her cheek, smiling to myself as I stared into her gorgeous red eyes, "It's okay to be selfish about this. Marriage in itself is selfish, but this is my choice. I'm going to stay with you for the rest of my life, and beyond if it's possible."

Suddenly, Cordelia enveloped me. Her lips slammed against mine and I found myself struggling not to topple over. I held my ground, but only barely as she mashed our lips together forcefully. Her arms wrapped around my neck, hands gently grasping at my hair before we parted for air. Her forehead rested on mine, her eyes looking into mine affectionately. Slowly, a smile crossed her face.

"Gods, I love you!" Cordelia breathed out, running her hand through my hair. "How is it you can still do this to me? We've been married for years!"

"What can I say? I've had a lot of practice!" I chuckled out before kissing her myself, that time allowing her to push me down onto the loveseat.

We stayed like that for a while, simply basking in each other's ministrations. Eventually, however, we had to part. Cordelia laid on top of me, resting her head on my chest.

"Thank you, Alex," She said quietly, "I'm not sure what I would have done without you. I know our journey to this point was not an easy one, but I would gladly go through it all over again just so I can share these moments with you."

"Me too," I replied, "And who knows? Maybe one day we'll have the chance to meet them. My old family, I mean. Just a visit, but it's nice to think about."

Cordelia hummed. "I'd like that."

Soon enough, we drifted off to sleep.

I always enjoyed those moments between us. Our marriage was still going strong near-five years after the official ceremony, and I couldn't be happier. Cordelia and Severa made my life worth living, a life lived for others. Something I swore I would never let go, no matter how dark things would get.

Before I drifted off to sleep that night, though, I small thought nagged at me. I had long given up on seeing any of my old family again, but something about that didn't seem right. It was a tiny thing, barely noticeable as I held Cordelia in my arms and listened to her soft, rhythmic breathing, but it was there.

Will I ever see them again?

I shuffled it away as best as I could, and I willingly drifted off to sleep as our fire crackled nearby.

If it ain't clear, this isn't the sequel to Aberration. Don't worry, that'll be posted to both and AO3 on January 2nd!

I'll just be using this little compendium to store and share all the little snippets and lore bits and stuff I've written over the last year and a half, as well as whatever I decide to write in Aberration's world. It won't just be these two that get posted, after all. Sometimes you just need something to cleanse your palate, you know? And the sequel is looking like it'll be something, uh, something special, let's say. Lol.

Anyway, small Christmas special for you guys, as well as a slightly less but no doubt uplifting piece alongside it. I really enjoyed writing both of these, so hopefully you enjoy them!

Here's a link to our Discord server: discord .gg/9XG3U7a

See you guys soon!