Abby bounced around the living room, throwing garland everywhere. "On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me SIX COSMIC DEATH RAYS--"

"ABBY!" Chris hollered.

It was Christmas Eve. Aunt Marian thought it would be cute to invite the kids' friends over for a Christmas Eve party. Chris was quite sure that this would not be a good idea, but didn't have to heart to tell her that. It was an almost guaranteed disaster, considering she'd made him invite both Andie and Teddy. So needless to say, he wasn't in the holiday spirit, unlike Abby.

The front door opened and shut and Chris heard someone stomping their shoes on the welcome mat.

"It's nippy out there," Delia announced breathlessly, her hair lightly sprinkled with snowflakes. She was coming home from her weekly session with her brand-spanking new counselor, something she didn't like talking about, and she hadn't told any of her friends about. But her family could tell it was helping. Delia was becoming much more…human. Secretly, Delia was so grateful to Chris for telling her aunt and uncle even though she'd been severely pissed at first.

Chris looked at her, exasperated. He had tinsel in his hair. "Just to warn you, Abby's singing. But I think she's finally on the Twelfth Day of Christmas so it'll be over soon."

On cue, Abby belted out, "On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me TWELVE MILLION DOLLARS, eleven zombies lurching, ten cobras spitting--"

"Enough, Abby!" Uncle Gregg cried. "Sing something else."

Delia walked into the living room, immediately feeling warm and welcome when she saw the fireplace alive with a crackling fire. "Need any help, Abby?"

"Eat this candy cane," Abby said, throwing one to her. She took one look at her sister and despised her. The winter chill had put colour into her perfectly pale skin, and she looked even better wind-blown than usual, if that was possible. It sucked growing up with a sister as unparalleled as Delia. She shook off the wave of jealousy, "Okay, this next one is to be sung to the tune of Frosty the Snowman."

"Oh God," Uncle Gregg muttered. He was hanging up stockings and occasionally poking at the fire.

"Flakey the Leper," Abby sang brightly. "Didn't even have a nose!"

The doorbell rang; just as Abby launched into a verse discussing Flakey the Leper trying to fly off a stump only to lose his only remaining eyeball. Delia and Chris ran to answer it, praying that Abby would not sing in front of company.

Andie and Dexter were the first to arrive.

"Hi," Delia greeted them, mostly ignoring Andie. "Come in. I'm glad you're here. Sister Sunshine is driving me insane. We're about to throw Abby into the oven."

"That could be colourful," Dexter said.

"Hi, Chris," Andie said quietly.

Chris smiled politely. "Hey Andie. Merry Christmas."

They stood there awkwardly. The smell of turkey filled the air, as did Abby's obnoxious singing, Uncle Gregg's occasional expletive when he hammered his thumb, and Delia and Dexter's laughter.

Chris suddenly felt bad for Andie. She was pretty much alone. Delia had never cared for her, while Abby was just beginning to pull away from her. When the St. Peter sisters arrived it would suck even more for Andie, what with Libby currently dating her ex-boyfriend and Tabitha still thinking Andie was mad at her.

Chris shrugged, feeling the need to make her feel better. "Do you want to help me finish hanging the tree ornaments?"

A genuine smile lit up her face. She nodded, gratefully, and followed him to the living room.

"Hi Abby," she said.

Abby turned. She had completely wrapped herself in garland. "Hi Andie. I'd stay to talk, but I have a burning desire to pester Dexter and Delia." She hopped way, and Uncle Gregg followed after her, telling her firmly to leave her sister alone.

"So how's Libby?" Andie asked nonchalantly, hanging a red glass ball ornament on a high branch.

"Don't Andie," he sighed. "Let's not get into that. It's hard enough staying friends with you when you're so mean to her."

"You're using her, Chris."

"She knows exactly what's going on. I'm not using her. I genuinely care about her."

"Do you love her?"

"Stop trying to make this harder than it already is!" He shook his head. "You just want me to tell you that I can't love her yet because I love you."

Andie sighed. She loved Chris. She felt it so painfully then. But she did love him, in spite of everything she'd put him through.

"I was happy with you, Andie. That's why it's taking so long to stop being sad. But Libby is helping me," he told her. "I…She's a huge change from you. And I gotta admit, it's a good change.

"Ouch," she laughed sadly.

Vern and Tabitha got there next.

"Umm, I think you forgot someone," Chris said uncertainly.

"Who, Libby?" Tabitha scoffed. "She was taking too long bundling up. So I left."

"That was nice of you." He grinned at Vern. Hey Verno. How's it going?"

"Goodly!" Vern said. He watched as Tabitha ventured further inside to mingle. "Oh man, Tabitha is great. Sincerely. Oh man."

"I guess she's pretty hot, yeah." Chris shrugged.

"No shit!" Vern agreed.

"Gordie," Chris said when his best friend showed up. "Thank God. Your girlfriend will not stop singing. Actually she ate a bowl of Cheerios for a few minutes, and then she went back to singing again."

"I'm sorry I missed it." Gordie grinned at Chris. "Merry Christmas."

"Thanks. They stood, smiling for a moment until Abby broke the silence with another song, this time a mockery of "O Christmas Tree."

"O Cannibals, O Cannibals! What will you eat for Christmas? Of Cannibals, O Cannibals! You start to make me nervous!"

"Hey I taught her that!" Gordie said proudly.

"Gordie?" Abby called, hearing his voice.

"Abby?" Gordie called back in a high voice, mocking her.

"GOOOOORDEEEEE!" Abby squealed, running out of the kitchen to him.

"ABBBEEEEEE!" he mocked her again. He swept her up into a hug. "Merry Christmas!"

"I'll say!"

The doorbell rang again, and Chris opened the door to see Libby, adorned in a poncho, a toque, a couple of scarves, and huge mittens.

"Holy shit. You look like you're dressed for the Ice Age."

"Have you been outside today?" she asked.

He eyed her mittens. "Can I call you Big Paw now?"

"If you want to die."

He hugged her tightly, breathing in the fresh smell of winter in her hair. "Merry Christmas, Libby."

"Whatever. You too."