Exusiai peeks around a corner.
She looks left.
She looks right.
And then, with her finger on the TALK button, she speaks into the radio in her hand, only after making sure the coast was clear.
"Echo Angel to Alpha Angel, come in, Alpha Angel. Do you read?"
The room was silent for a moment. But only for a moment. And then… Exusiai receives a response. A voice that comes through the static, paradoxically small and authoritative.
"Echo Angel, you're supposed to say OVER when you stop talking. Over."
And then it's quiet again.
Exusiai smiles sheepishly, before she presses the TALK button once more, and she clears her throat before talking into the radio for a second time.
"Oops. Sorry sweetie! I'll say OVER next time, I promise! Over."
This time, Exusiai's reply comes almost immediately, like the redhead had done something to fluster or irritate the listener.
"Echo Angel, you are to refrain from referring to your daughter as anything other than Alpha Angel for the duration of this mission. Alpha Angel is my callsign. Not sweetie. Over."
Exusiai giggles, and then issues her own response. Again, her finger is on the TALK button as she speaks into the radio. "Can I call you darling? Over."
A response. "No, over."
"What about Gabriella? Over."
"N-no! Using my real name is a violation! You're jeopardizing the mission! Over!"
"How about Gabs? Gib-gab? Gabinator?"
"No, no, and no! Gabinator? Come on, mom… I mean, Echo Angel! Over!"
"A-ha! Now who's jeopardizing the mission?"
Exusiai felt as though she'd won this encounter, as evidenced by the total silence on the other end of the line. She sneaks through the dimly-lit household with purpose, wary. Beyond the threshold into the living room, she could see the Christmas tree, with all its sparkling lights and lavish ornaments, and beneath the highly-decorated tree, spread throughout the floor, were presents. Boxes in various sizes, plastered with wrapping paper.
Gabby's presents are the biggest. Ha… good. Hope she likes 'em!
"Echo Angel, what is your location? Over." The same voice from before comes through the radio, just as small as it was before. Exusiai clears her throat before responding.
"Now entering the living room, over."
"Copy that. Do you see The Wolf? Over."
"Checking for The Wolf. Over."
Exusiai hums quietly, and thoughtfully, as she moves into the living room and looks high and low for wherever her wife could be hiding.
The radio crackles as the voice returns. "Remember, Echo Angel, we need The Wolf alive. Over."
"I'll say! She's making dinner tonight! Over."
"Whoa. What are we having? Over."
"Chicken and mashed potatoes! Over!"
"Oh, yay! I love mashed potatoes!"
There's a pause before she continues.
"...over."
Exusiai giggles again. She approaches the couch from behind, spotting the shape of a person beneath a large blanket on the other side. Could it be? Her precious wife…?!
There was only one way to find out, and that was with complicated ninja maneuvers.
Exusiai leapt up and over the couch, throwing in a twirl for good measure, before she jerked forward and threw the blankets off. "HYAH!"
Alas… it was merely a group of pillows arranged into a vaguely human-shaped form. A trap?! It would seem that way.
"Ah, damn…"
The radio crackles. The voice is back.
"Did you just hyah? I heard you from the upstairs hallway. Over."
Exusiai replies. "No! You're hearing things. It was a ghost! Over."
"You're a big big liar… over."
The basement was clear. So was this floor. That only left… the entire upstairs floor. Exusiai was confident that they could find The Wolf. It was two versus one. They totally had this under control.
Moving lightly on her tiptoes, Exusiai slowly and steadily made her way up the stairs, feeling the soft fuzz of the carpeted steps beneath her feet. She still remembers the day she convinced Texas to go along with this choice of carpeting, for as mundane a decision as it was, Exusiai thought it pertinent to reduce the potential of danger. What if Gabby fell down the stairs?! It was a thought that horrified her even now, even if her little angel had been walking on her own for quite a long time now.
Once on the second floor of the house, Exusiai heard the telltale sound of someone trying to get her attention. It sounded like…
"Psst!"
She turned, and saw what appeared to be a little girl lying on her stomach, beckoning her closer. Exusiai almost laughed at the sight, before she walked over and crouched down low in front of her young daughter.
"Alpha Angel, status report? Over."
Gabby waved her hand dismissively. "We're not talking on the radio, you don't have to say over anymore! Geez, mom, you're bad at this game…"
"Well sorry! I haven't done anything like this in years," Exusiai admitted. Gabby rolled her eyes, and then crouched down low to be level with her mother. Now she really felt like a superspy.
"I think The Wolf might be hiding in your bedroom…" Gabby whispered.
"Oh?" Exusiai grinned. "Is that so…"
"Hmm-hmm!" Gabby nodded quickly, her short black hair swaying as she did so. "Turn on night vision mode!"
At her daughter's instruction, Exusiai tapped her own halo with her forefinger, and she illuminated their surroundings as the halo suddenly started shining. Gabby did the very same with her own halo, and like a little neon bulb, the circular light above the daughter's head filled the space around them with a warm glow.
"Onward! We'll find The Wolf. And then…"
Exusiai raised an eyebrow. "And then?"
Gabby's eyes started glowing. "MASHED POTATOES..."
"You know you're kinda scary when you do that, Gabs…"
"Let's gooooo…" The little angel started crouch-walking towards the far end of the hallway, where Exusiai and Texas's bedroom lie in wait. It was one of the rooms they've yet to check, and the most likely hiding spot for Texas, despite how obvious it seemed.
Exusiai followed after her daughter, keeping her eyes and ears open for The Wolf. She didn't see or hear a thing, however. If anything, it would be Texas who could sense their approach. They came closer, and closer, and closer still…
"Hold…!" Gabby whispered back to Exusiai as she raised her arm. She stood right in front of her parents' bedroom door, which was already ajar. There was a faint light coming from within, and an even fainter voice, like Texas was talking to someone.
"On your go, Alpha Angel." Exusiai nodded firmly, changing her stance to a readied one. Gabby gulped, and pushed the door open. She was anxious. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. And when she took a peek inside the bedroom, she saw that her Mama had her back turned, and she was on the phone.
"-good to hear you're doing so well," said Texas, cell phone to her ear. "Maybe one day we'll even visit. That'd be nice… although Columbia's been good to us. Definitely not like Lungmen," the Lupo commented.
Gabby raised her hands, ready to pounce.
"I'd forgotten how convenient it was to live here. But I can't let my instincts get dull," said Texas, turning slightly as she spoke on the phone.
Gabby took a silent step forward, raising her hands up as high as they could go! And then Texas spoke again.
"Listen, I'm going to have to call you back. My daughter is trying to ambush me. Mm-hmm. Yep. Bye."
Texas turned around, just in time for the little rascal to leap up and attack her own mother. "HYAHHH!"
Texas was faster. She leapt out of the way and darted towards the door, only to be stopped by her arch-nemesis and love of her life: Exusiai.
"Ah! A trap? Could this be it?" Texas backed up against the wall. "How could I let this happen?"
"FREEZE!" Gabby pulls a toy gun out of her waistband, and she points it straight at Texas. "Come quietly, Wolf, and we might let you live!"
"Yeah! What she said!" Exusiai grinned, giving her daughter a thumbs-up. "Good job, Alpha Angel!"
"Thank you, Echo Angel!" Gabby smirked, keeping the gun trained on Texas. "Give it up, Wolf. The only way you're getting out of this… is if you hurry up and make dinner! My stomach hurts!"
"That's because you eat nothing but cookies and cake before bed," said Texas.
"LIES! SLANDER! I WOULD NEVER!" Gabby turned to Exusiai in a panic. "Mind games! The Wolf is using mind games!"
When Gabby turned back to Texas, The Wolf was already in her face. The toy gun clatters to the floor, and when she's picked up and swung around, she only has time to scream.
It's a scream that turns to giggling.
And then her giggling turns to loud cackling, as she vainly struggles against her mama's bear hug. "NOOOOO! STOP! AHAHAHAHA! YOU CAN'T WIN!"
"Let her go!" Exusiai enters the fight, getting behind Texas and putting her hands over her wife's eyes. "Unhand her, you monster!"
Texas yelled like she was really being attacked, and she (carefully!) tossed Gabriella onto the bed, whereupon the little angel bounced happily in a fit of giggles.
"Rule #3 of Hunting 101?" Texas asked. Gabby gasped, and she sat up, pointing to her little ring finger as she counted in her head.
"Never lose track of your prey!" She replied.
"And how did I beat you just now?" asked Texas. Gabby frowned, and she almost responded, until she saw her two moms kiss. Then she turned her gaze away with a combination of disgust and embarrassment.
"Blegh…"
Exusiai snickered. "Hey~"
"Hey yourself." Texas's hands found Exusiai's hips, and she gave her another sweet kiss on the cheek, which Exusiai leaned into. As soon as Texas's lips press against her face, her smile nearly doubles in size.
"Gross!" Gabby flops back onto the bed. "Kissing with the enemy… that's a violation!"
"Mom, can I ask you a question?"
Exusiai nodded. "Of course, sweetie. Any time!"
Exusiai's daughter frowned. "And you'll tell me the truth, right?"
"I'll always tell you the truth. What's wrong?" Exusiai reached out and moved a strand of hair from Gabriella's face, while the little Sankta sat up in her small bed.
"Is Santa real?" The little one asked. "You can tell me if he's not… I won't be sad."
Exusiai was ready with her answer. "Santa is real, sweetie. You might see him tomorrow if you get some sleep right now!"
"Really?" Gabby pouted. "Hmmmmm. Okay… does Santa like to fight?"
"Oh yeah! He's super strong. So strong that he carries presents all around the world!" Exusiai raised her arms to emphasize the level of strength the absolute unit that was Santa Claus had going for himself. "He's stronger than me!"
Gabby looked impressed. "Is he stronger than… Mama?"
Exusiai giggled. "No, sweetie… no one's stronger than Mama."
"Whaaa… what the heck…" Gabriella was flabbergasted that her Lupo mother could be so strong. "Maybe Mama should be Santa then…"
"I'll let her know you said that. Now come on. You need to get your sleep now, baby. We can open presents tomorrow morning, OK?"
"Okaaaaay. I hope I can fight Santa one day…" Gabby lay down and pulled up her covers, smiling gleefully as her mom tapped the halo above her head, dimming the night light perched just above her scalp.
"Sweet dreams, my little angel," Exusiai whispered, and she kissed her daughter on the forehead, watching her wiggle happily.
"Eheheheh… goodnight mom… over!"
"Don't let the bed bugs bite… over!"
Her smile was bright enough to light up the room. It's the last thing she sees before Exusiai quietly steps out of the room and closes the door, with a peaceful sigh. Mischievously, Exusiai hangs mistletoe from her halo, just in front of her face, before her feet carry her to the living room, where Texas was already seated by the fireplace, mug of hot chocolate in hand.
"It's way past her bedtime," Texas reminded Exusiai, shaking her head slowly.
"Are you saying I'm a bad influence on our daughter?" Exusiai gasped, putting a hand to her chest, feigning offense.
"You? Never…" Texas spotted the mistletoe hanging from her Sankta wife's halo with an amused little smile. "Hm. Cute. And also very familiar…"
"By the way, you've got the Santa costume ready, right?"
"Mm-hmm. Though pretty soon she's going to find out the truth."
"I know… but… come on." Exusiai smiled, sitting right next to her loving wife. "Let her believe for just a little bit longer."
"She's smarter than you think… wicked smart." Texas paused, before smiling suddenly. "She gets that from me."
"And what does she get from me?" Exusiai asked.
"You mean aside from the obvious?" She pointed to Exusiai's halo, which twinkled alongside the lights around their Christmas tree. "Your sweet tooth. Your proclivity for nonsense. You're both adorable. You both keep me happy…"
"Wow. Look at you, being all serious again." Exusiai leaned to her side, laying her head against Texas's shoulder. "Heh. We do good work, I think."
"Better than I thought, honestly." Texas wrapped an arm around Exusiai, holding her closely. "Every year that goes by, is another reminder that we…"
"That we made it?" Exusiai asked. Texas turned to look at her, more seriously this time. It's an expression that Exusiai matches exactly; they're looking at one another with trepidation and concern.
"That we got lucky," Texas decided to say. "We made it. This long," she clarified. "Not everyone was as lucky as we were. To be where we are now. Together. A house… a daughter."
Exusiai nodded slowly. And then she smiled. "I've got a guardian angel looking out for me. I figure they just want me to be happy. They hold the pen. You know?"
"Dio opera in modi misteriosi." Texas took a sip of hot chocolate.
"That's right… God works in mysterious ways."
Exusiai stood up, carefully, and she sat herself down in Texas's lap.
"Ahh. Well hello there." Texas put her mug aside, and with both hands free, she rested them right over Exusiai's hips. Exusiai naturally wraps her arms around Texas's neck, holding her dear wife with an intimate closeness. The mistletoe still hung from Exusiai's halo. They were right underneath it, now. Anything could happen.
"Hey," Exusiai whispered, "I love you. So much."
Texas smiled. She raised a hand up, gently, and she cupped Exusiai's cheek.
"Heh… sometimes… I wake up… and I wonder… Do I deserve this?"
"...huh?" Exusiai blinked, looking somewhat surprised. "What do you mean…?"
Texas elaborated. "Look at us. Look at me. How happy we are. We're not infected. We're a family. Celebrating Christmas… together. Living together. No fighting. No violence. Violence was all I ever knew, you know…"
"It doesn't have to be everything. Why would it be? Everything comes to an end. The good stuff… and the bad stuff, too. You think you don't deserve to be happy?"
Texas winced at Exusiai's tone. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have… said it like that. I just… wonder what I did to deserve someone like you. And Gabby. And I thought—"
A kiss is all it takes to quiet the storm of her thoughts. Exusiai gives it to her: long, deep, passionate, and full of meaning. She snuggles even closer to her wife, somehow, keeping her arms laced tightly around her beloved, as if Texas would disappear if she ever let go. But Texas wasn't going anywhere. There was no leaving this paradise, much-earned as it was.
Exusiai needed Texas.
Texas needed Exusiai.
That was their reality. They'd earned this much, even if nothing else.
But they had much more than that assurance. Indeed, they had something very few on Terra were ever fortunate to have, no matter how much they spent trying to get it.
They had a future.
The kiss is broken. Their future was bright. Like the moon. The stars. The snow. Like lights on a Christmas tree, or a dear angel's halo.
"I love you too," Texas whispered. And Exusiai beamed.
They held each other all through the night. And it was true.
A/N: And with this story... 25 Days of Exmas is officially over. 25 days of Exusiai stories, some longer than others, with varying themes and ratings. A regular Christmas feast of fanfiction!
Thank you for sticking with me through this self-imposed challenge. I'm kind of surprised I managed to get it done, but I just had to. For my favorite angel!
Whether you've read just one, a few, or all of my submissions for this challenge: THANK YOU! I love writing, especially when I can make you happy with it.
I've got a few other projects in the pipeline as of now, and I'll try to work on them in the coming days. But for now... I need a little break (ノ^∇^)
Merry Christmas, everyone. See you soon (❁´▽`❁)*✲ﾟ*